IP POT POURRI

IP sole practitioner’s meeting: the date

For the avoidance of confusion, the IPKat wishes his readers to know that the sole practitioners’ meeting at the Crown Tavern is on Thursday 16 February (i.e. next week) and NOT Thursday 9 February (i.e. tomorrow). The IPKat apologises for any confusion.

Seems like the IPKat's not the only confused cat (right)


OHIM rules on registrability of Vorsprung durch Technik


The OHIM Second Board of Appeal has ruled on the registrability as a CTM of Audi’s slogan “Vorsprung durch Technik”. The decision appears to have something to do with whether the mark is distinctive since many goods are connected to technology and something to do with acquired distinctiveness. Also, vehicles in Class 12 appear to have been treated differently from the other goods applied for. More than this the IPKat cannot tell you because he doesn’t speak German – the only language that the decision is available in.

News from the British Library

The British Library is launching a new extended Business and Intellectual Property Centre in March. The Centre already gives access to lots of lovely IP-related reference materials, the Business and Intellectual Property Centre and following the refit, it will host a new detailed (free) series of talks on various aspects of IP and business from the point of view of business people.

The IPKat will bring you further details when this happens, but in the meantime, you can gorge yourself on the BL’s comprehensive list of IP links at http://www.bl.uk/patents. The IPKat says anything that increases public understanding of IP is to be supported.