The Court of Appeal has reviewed the law on liability and account of profits in a judgment concerning the BEVERLY HILLS POLO CLUB trade mark (Lifestyle Equities C.V. & Anor v Ahmed & Anor [2021] EWCA Civ 675). The case is one of many that are winding their way through the courts concerning this brand. In this litigation, the judge at first instance found that the use of SANTA MONICA POLO CLUB infringed the BEVERLY HILLS POLO CLUB mark and devices, and also found passing off.

Passing off is often added as an afterthought to a trade mark infringement action. In those circumstances, it is very often successful. The line between a deception (required for passing off) and likelihood of confusion (trade mark infringement) is subtle but there is a significant degree of overlap between the two. However, where there is no registered mark and it is first necessary to establish goodwill in a particular name, logo or get up, the relevant deception is much mo

The EU General Court has upheld a Board of Appeal ruling in a dispute between Chanel and Huawei, finding that Huawei’s EUTM application for a figurative H/U shape was not similar to Chanel’s Double-C trade mark (Case T-44/20, 21 April 2021). Huawei applied to register the EUTM for goods in class 9 in 2017 (far left). Chanel opposed the Huawei application based on two French trade marks (middle and right): (1) a figurative mark for “Cameras, sunglasses, glasses; earphones and

This was a complex dispute concerning a claims management database. It involved alleged infringement of a database right, misuse of confidential information and breach of fiduciary duty. It was decided by His Honour Judge Cawson QC, sitting as a judge of the High Court in Manchester, on 19 March 2021. The claim was brought by claims management company DRSP against Thomas O’Connor and Octax Limited. Mr O’Connor worked for DRSP until February 2018, after which he became a consu

Disputes relating to software are often complex, with multiple parties and issues involved. However, they can also illuminate important questions. Software Solutions Ltd & Ors v 365 Health and Wellbeing Ltd & Anor, a judgment by HHJ Melissa Clarke in February 2021, is a good example. While numerous companies were involved in the case at various stages, the question essentially was whether version 5 of a mental health application called Beating the Blues (BTB v 5) infringed co