PIES; BIKERS; SPEEDY DGS

Pie in the sky comes to QMIPRI (ooooh – poetry!)

This Monday (20 March), Dev Gangjee of the LSE is coming to speak at QMIPRI. His title is 'Melton Mowbray and the GI Pie in the Sky: Exploring Cartographies of Protection'. The porcine-themed festivities begin at 12.30pm. All are welcome and there’s no charge, but please RSVP to Ilanah.

The IPKat, overcome by a fit of serendipitous good timing, notes that today Northern Foods applied for permission to appeal to the Court of Appeal against DEFRA’s decisions to designate MELTON MOWBRAY as a protected GI. Here’s how it appeared on the court listings

Before THE CHANCELLOR OF THE HIGH COURT and
LORD JUSTICE JACOB
Tuesday, 14th March, 2006
At 10 o'clock
APPLICATIONA3/2006/0087
The Queen on the application of Northern Foods plc v Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Application of Claimant for permission to appeal, an application for a reference to European Court under article 234 (ex article 177) directions, and interim relief.


The road to Hell’s Angels is paved with good intentions

Lots of people, including the New York Times, report that the Hell’s Angels are suing Disney. At issue is a film to star Tim Allen and John Travolta named ‘Wild Hogs’. The heroes go on a road trip, where they encounter a chapter of the Hell’s Angels The Hell’s Angels are unhappy though because characters in the movie are identified as members of the club and wear trade mark logos.
The IPKat hopes that this case doesn’t get very far. It’s bad for free speech if film producers, song writers and authors can’t identify real-world trade marks in their works.


WIPO Director General sets land-speed record


At 13.37, the IPKat received WIPO Press Release No.439 entitled DR. IDRIS OPENS DIPLOMATIC CONFERENCE TO REVISE KEY TRADEMARK TREATY. Also at 13.37, the IPKat received WIPO Press Release No.440 entitled WIPO DIRECTOR GENERAL CONCLUDES OFFICIAL VISIT TO SINGAPORE.

The IPKat says blimey, that was quick.