Both the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal have delivered judgments on actions to protect trade marks in 2017. The Supreme Court’s decision in Crocodile International Pte Ltd v Lacoste involved a Lacoste trade mark (70068), which Crocodile International Pte Ltd had applied to revoke, arguing that Lacoste had not used it. The issue was [...]

The recent case of Fonterra Brands (Tip Top Investments) Ltd v Tip Top Restaurant Ltd [2012] BCL 86, illustrates that an attempt to register a trade mark in respect of certain goods and services that are similar or identical to an already existing trade mark will be declined registration, in accordance with section 25 of [...]

The importance of choosing an appropriate brand name to trade mark can be seen in the aftermath of the well-known and controversial “radler” decision from the Intellectual Property Office New Zealand (IPONZ) in July this year. The case, DB Breweries Limited v Society of Beer Advocates, Inc (NZIPOTM, 13/07/11), concerned a challenge to DB’s successful [...]