Happy Christmas from M&D
Wishing you and yours a very happy Christmas and a peaceful and prosperous New Year. We look forward to working together again in 2023.
European Unitary Patent and Unified Patent Court: an update
The proposed European Unitary Patent aims to provide a patent proprietor with uniform protection across Europe and is provisionally expected to come into effect from 1st April 2023. It is worth noting that the term “unitary” patent is rather a misnomer as it will not extend to all 39 Contracting States of the EPC [...]
Welcoming Hannah Quigley to M&D
M&D are delighted to welcome Hannah Quigley to the team at M&D and Ansons. Hannah joined MacLachlan & Donaldson (and Ansons) in 2022 as a Patent Attorney having previously worked for another IP firm in Belfast. Hannah began her career in IP in 2018 after completing a Masters in Intellectual Property Law with a Distinction [...]
Keep your Trade Secrets secret!
Aston Martin came under scrutiny in May this year recently when it presented a very different looking AMR22 for the Spanish Grand Prix at Barcelona with a significant change in its design compared to the car that it raced for the first five Grand Prix of the 2022 season. The new car design bore some [...]
The question of the Irish Woman is settled
Back in August 2020, we reported on the interesting case of the cancellation of an EU trade mark registration for the figurative trademark “La Irlandesa” - see The Irish Woman Wasn’t Irish After All - MacLachlan & Donaldson At that time the Board of Appeal had declared that the figurative trademark “La Irlandesa”, which had [...]
Ireland to join the patent revolution – but not yet!
As of 28th June 2022, the Irish Government has confirmed that Ireland will join the EU’s Unitary Patent System and Unified Patent Court system which will enforce Unitary Patents. However, Ireland cannot be a full participating member until the Irish electorate approves the necessary amendment to the Constitution by way of a referendum. Unfortunately, the Government does [...]
Solicitors, Trade Mark Attorneys and your Brands
Following our article on the difference between Patent Attorneys and Solicitors, we are looking today at how Trade Mark Attorneys differ from Solicitors and how you would work together with a Trade Mark Attorney to protect your brand. What is a Trade Mark Attorney? Irish Trade Mark Attorneys are qualified specialist in Trade Mark law [...]
Gretha Cachia at the ECTA 40th Annual Conference
It’s been a week since the ECTA 40th annual conference kicked off in Copenhagen and what a pleasure it was to meet colleagues and friends in the IP industry in person again. This year’s theme was ‘Designing The Future’ and futuristic concepts like the metaverse attracted most attention, as many brands are now looking to [...]
Solicitors, Patent Attorneys and Your Invention
It is not always clear to those outside the Intellectual Property world what the difference between IP Attorneys and Solicitors is. We outline here exactly what a Patent Attorney is, and how a Patent Attorney differs from a Solicitor, and how at times they work together! What is a Patent Attorney? European Patent Attorneys are [...]
Understanding “Freedom to Operate”
What is "Freedom to Operate"? Generally speaking, Freedom to Operate refers to the ability to use or commercialise a product or process without infringing on another party's valid Intellectual Property rights. While the term Freedom to Operate generally refers to Patents, it is wise to consider other types of IP rights before launching any product [...]