Expedited trade mark applications; LegalForce; Ferrero takes Ferro to the ECJ

The IPKat has received a query from Marc, who wants to know how many countries in the European Union make provision in their domestic law for expedited trade mark applications. If anyone knows, can he or she please email the IPKat here. All information received concerning fast-track trade marks will appear on this weblog.


If you're American, or want to buy, sell or license patents in the US, the LegalForce website might interest you. If the logo (left) is an indicator, this site - launched this week - is still being beta tested. However, according to LegalForce Vice-President for Marketing Alex Gault :

"the site offers a single destination where patents can be bought, sold or licensed. Listing a patent is free.

The marketplace is powered by a professional network for anyone who’s a stakeholder in the IP ecosystem – including inventors, entrepreneurs, IP professionals, attorneys, and investors. The network allows members to connect, share and collaborate with groups, discussion forums, videos, event listings and classifieds.

As well, the site includes a proprietary search engine which delivers contact information for all patent attorneys in the US and many others internationally. Soon, the search engine will also allows users to find and download all U.S. patents, and link to profiles of associated inventors, owners and attorneys".

The system looks simple enough on-screen but the IPKat, whose enthusiasm for all things new is balanced by his wariness of all things that look good from a distance, hopes to hear from any of his readers once they have used it. Merpel adds, the registration requirement looks like a great way of building up a database of people actively looking to trade in patents.


Ferrero has launched a last-ditch bid to stop Swiss bakery Cornu registering the word FERRO as a Community trade mark, according to a news item from Bloomberg. Ferrero SpA, which makes the delicious Nutella chocolate spread and iconic TicTacs, has rights to the word FERRERO in Germany that go back to 1977. The company alleges that allowing Cornu SA to use the Ferro name would cause a considerable risk of confusion. Ferrero's opposition to the FERRO application failed, as did its appeals to the Board of Appeal and the Court of First Instance of the European Communities.

Now the case is on its way to the European Court of Justice. At the heart of the dispute are two issues: how similar FERRERO and FERRO are and whether sweet and savoury biscuits can be considered as separate products. The IPKat says, watch out for Case C-108/07 Ferrero Deutschland v OHIM and Cornu - but don't hold your breath: it can take the best part of two years to get a result.

Left: Ferro-actinolite. Is this, the Kats wonder, an ingredient of Ferro rock cakes?

The IPKat says, malheureusement I think I must have missed this one because the CFI decision was seulement en francais.