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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
M&D has been celebrating World Intellectual Property Day over the last week. This year the theme for World Intellectual Property Day is "Youth and IP" and we have published two articles, and a number of trivia pieces, to celebrate the importance of Intellectual Property in the drive among the the younger generation to innovate for [...]
MacLachlan & Donaldson (Ireland) is proud to announce that we will be an Exhibitor at this year's All-Ireland Business Summit on May 18th at Croke Park. With more than 600 innovators, thought leaders and decision-makers confirmed for this year’s event, the Summit is an unmissable opportunity for Irish businesses to showcase their services and make [...]
What is an Economic Operators Registration and Identification (EORI) Number? An Economic Operators Registration and Identification (EORI) number is an identification number used across the European Union (EU) for interactions with the customs authorities in each individual Member State. It was first introduced in 2009 to create a more efficient system for economic operators and [...]
Why protect trade marks in China? With so many brand owners conducting business in China it is imperative to consider protecting your trade mark in that country. Brand identity and its protection is critical for the success of any business. This is of particular importance in China where, if you do not register your trade [...]
Understanding Your Design The look of a product you have designed such as its physical shape, pattern and colours, can be protected to stop its replication. It is worth noting that designs only protect the appearance of the product, not the idea or concept behind it, or how the product works. In other words, "design" [...]
