GROUPE CANAL+ v. Grundig Multimedia AG

Acknowledging the full extent of brand infringement, FC Liverpool has attempted to register a trademark for the word Liverpool in an attempt to extend its scope of brand protection. These efforts have been unsuccessful following a heated public debate, with the United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) rejecting the application due to the geographical significance of the city of Liverpool. Yet, Chelsea FC and Tottenham Hotspur represent examples of football clubs that have succeeded in their efforts to register trademarks for the words Chelsea and Tottenham. This viewpoint explores the seemingly subtle, yet significant, differences in these cases and explores the wider implications for brand protection.

“Testing how the garment fits, testing how comfortable it is to wear and testing how well the fabric holds up in the long term are all things that Shein and the like skip to churn out clothes at the rate that they do. Sweatshops and slave labour allow them to sell the garments for the prices that they do. We do things differently” Read the full story of Vanessa Jones, the founder of Sl’eau, another inspiring brand protected by Trama that brings quality and craftsmanship back to the fashion industry.

People all over the world are using smartphones and tablets. As mobile app usage grows in popularity, the number of app downloads worldwide increases as well. The global mobile application market size was estimated at USD 187.58 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach USD 206.73 billion in 2022[1]. The trend shows that more and more people prefer to use mobile devices over the traditional system, which means more businesses are transitioning their services to mobile-first software solutions. Trademark registration offers an effective mechanism for protecting the uniqueness of this vital asset of any business, including mobile apps.