< Back to latest news & events

News

WIPR article – Rolex: is the trademark world its Oyster?

February 2023

HGF Trade Mark Director Claire Jones comments in the WIPR article on ‘Rolex: is the trademark world it’s Oyster?’.

The article written by Sarah Speight looks at how the luxury brand is accusing a British clockmaker of infringing its long-established ‘Oyster’ wristwatch range amid what appears to be a wave of litigation from Rolex.

Preview of the article:

Hot on the heels of a trademark loss against a Nordic fashion brand over a crown logo, luxury watchmaker Rolex has found a new target: a family business based in England that sells children’s educational clocks. Oyster & Pop, set up by two sisters during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns, makes wall clocks designed to help children learn to tell the time. The products, which retail at around £20 each ($25), clearly display the company’s name. Rolex, having claimed the name ‘Oyster’ as its own for its decades-old range of wristwatches, is taking aim.

Latest updates

Stripped of Stripes; Browne v Adidas

Back in March, we reported on the US and EU decisions in the ongoing disputes between Adidas and Thom Browne (see Retail Scanner article here). In May, the US appeal …

Read article

Iceland Foods v the Icelandic government goes to the EU General Court

When one thinks of Iceland, you may envision picturesque glaciers and hot springs, or you might think of prawn rings and frozen party food. The ongoing trade mark tussle between …

Read article

Wrapping Up Your IP: Tips for E-Commerce Protection

Many of us would have turned to online shopping for Christmas gifts. Online shopping, whilst hugely convenient, does have its pitfalls. The main issue being not being able to physically …

Read article

Hermès-Inspired Hacks: Using your trade mark ‘outside of the box’

French luxury goods manufacturer, Hermès International, almost lost protection for its signature ‘H’ figurative trade mark earlier this year when the EUIPO’s Cancellation Division issued a decision to revoke the …

Read article

Case Law Round Up

2024 has been a busy year for trade marks, with a number of significant decisions being issued by the UK courts, including Tesco v Lidl, Thatchers v Aldi and the …

Read article

The SkyKick Decision: The Importance of Origin Function

SkyKick UK Ltd and another (Appellants) v Sky Ltd and others (Respondents) [2024] UKSC 36 before Lord Kitchin, Lord Reed, Lord Lloyd-Jones, Lord Hamblen and Lord Burrows.  Judgment given on …

Read article