ICANN will launch more than 1,000 new Top Level Domains (TLDs). Starting in early 2014, new TLDs like .shop, .web or .hotel will have a huge impact on how we find and distribute information online. From a trademark perspective the question is: How can I protect my brand? What do I need to know before the launch of the new TLDs? What can I do? What mechanisms exist? All these legal, technical and strategic questions will be discussed in-depth at the upcoming newdomains.org Munich Conference on new TLDs from 26 - 28 October 2013.     Keynote speaker of the conference is ICANN's President and CEO, Mr. Fade Chehadé.  This conference is hosted by united-domains AG and under the patronage of the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology. The two day agenda consists of workshops relating to Brand Risk Manangement, Marketing & Google's gTLD Strategy to ICANN's policies and contracts. For more information and in order to sign up, please see: www.newdomains.org    

Did you know that every minute 219 counterfeit goods are detained in the EU? Fact is that the value of intercepted goods in 2012 was still extremely high, at nearly €1 billion. The EU Counterfeiting Report 2012 in detail gives statistics on the type, provenance and transport method of counterfeit products detained at the EU's external borders. According to the report, cigarettes accounted for a large number of interceptions (31%), miscellaneous goods (e.g. bottles, lamps, glue, batteries, washing powder) were the next largest category (12%), followed by packaging materials (10%). Postal and courier packages accounted for around 70% of customs interventions in 2012, with 23% of the detentions in postal traffic concerning medicines.  

For the 17th time the German Innovation Prize (in German: "Deutscher Zukunftspreis - Preis des Bundespräsidenten für Technik und Innovation") has been launched. The winners of this renown prize will be handed over by the German Federal President and will receive 250.000 EUR.

DEADLINE TO PARTICIPATE: 2 December 2013

All ideas and inventions must be handed in latest by 2 December 2013. For more information on who can take part and what other prerequisites there are, please see the website (in German only) of the German Patent and Trademark Office, who is supporting this innovation prize or the website of the "Deutscher Zukunftspreis" (also in German only) itself.

The world's fifth largest national patent and trade mark office (GPTO / DPMA) has now published its annual report 2012 English, which includes information and statistics all around patents, trademarks, utility models, designs etc.                      Although the financial system in Europe is still in a tense situation, there is presently no significant impact on the number of new IP applications at the GPTO. Innovators and business concerns focus on innovation in order to strengthen their competitiveness. Click on the following links to be redirected to the GPTO's website for the full, approx. 120 page, Annual 2012 Report in ENGLISH or GERMAN.

Being active as IP attorneys and dealing with various large and small companies and helping them protect their intellectual property, we often see the internal struggles. The following cartoon by Tom Fishburne pinpoints and clearly visualizes the problems on how and why innovative ideas are abandoned.     We thank Tom Fishburne and his "marketoonists" for allowing the use on this blog.

By chance we came across this piece of artwork called "The Corporate States of America". It is a graphic design developed by the writer, graphic artist and photographer Steve Lovelace. As trademark and design enthusiasts, we thought we must share this with you. (c) 2012 Steve Lovelace

Interbrand just recently published its 3rd Annual Green Brands Report. Revealed below are the top ranked 50 "green" brands. Interbrand's reports - including sector overviews, articles and interviews etc. - can be viewed on the Interbrand website - Best Global Green Brands 2013.

 

 

S.M.D. Markeur just recently published the top 20 applicants of Community Trademarks 2012:   For more information please be referred to the source: Country Index of S.M.D. Markeur

Bayern München - meanwhile the no. 1 football brand in the world. Needless to say, as a Munich based IP an trademark law firm and enthusiastic football fans, it is an absolute "must" that we report that our city's team has climbed to the top of the most valuable football brands in the world. Bayern Munich just recently won the Champions League Final in London on May 25, 2013 - Europe's premier football tournament. For more information please see BrandFinance's just published report of May 2013 - which includes an executive summary, charts, brand value and much more.                      

This upcoming Munich Patent Law Conference on 14 June 2013 held in English will focus on:

"Calculating patent damages in six (6) countries, namely

Germany, United Kingdom, Netherlands, France, Japan, and USA".

This unique conference is hosted by the Technical University of Munich/Chair for IP Law, the Bavarian State Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection, the Regional Court Munich I and is supported by the European Patent Office (EPO) as well as the Munich Bar Association and 30 judges from around the world are expected to attend.     The full program can be found here. To register please click here on the online registration including the possibility to attend the dinner after the conference. The regular registration fee is EUR 300 and registration closes on 3 June 2013.