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UNIFIED PATENT COURT (UPC)  - one year in Sweden

On June 1, 2023, the Nordic-Baltic Regional Division of the Unified Patent Court opened its doors in Stockholm, Sweden. Members of the said division are Sweden, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. As of July 26, 2024, 47 cases have been filed with the Nordic-Baltic Regional Division.

The CTC Legal Media, publishers of the well-known The Patent Lawyer Magazine, has published a special newspaper with the recent news on the “Unified Patent Court: one year in”.

Petter Rindforth, UPC Representative, and Maria Zamkova, Head of Patent Department of Fenix Legal share insight into how the Nordic-Baltic Regional Division of the UPC is operating thus far, including some examples of cases.

Read the full article here: 

Your brand of the future:
five tips from Sweden

COVID-19, military attacks, inflation
and high prices for fuel/electricity
has changed ordinary shopping behavior among consumers in Europe, including Sweden.

This, however, also means new opportunities for companies with their eyes open for the future. Petter Rindforth presents, in the World Intellectual Property Review, Issue 1 / 2024,  five tips from a Swedish point of view in order to keep your trademark valid and popular.

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ECTA

42nd Annual Conference 

MANY FACETS OF IP 

ECTA recently hold its 42^nd Annual Conference in Antwerp, Belgium, on the theme “Many Facets of IP”.

Maria Zamkova and Petter Rindforth participated from Fenix Legal on several presentations related to AI, copyright, design and trademark updates, as well as members of the Internet committee and the WIPO-Link Committee. Rindforth also participated as the Swedish representative of the Supervisory Board.

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PATENTFRÅGOR – REFERENSGRUPPSMÖTE PÅ JUSTITIEDEPARTEMENTET

Den 28 maj 2024 höll Justitiedepartementet (Enheten för immaterialrätt och transporträtt) sitt referensgruppsmöte om internationella patentfrågor.

Maria Zamkova deltog från Fenix Legal och Svenska Patentombudsföreningen.

Departementet informerade främst om förhandlingslägen och centrala frågor i EU-kommissionens s.k. patentpaket (tvångslicenser,

tilläggsskydd och standardessentiella patent). Vidare informerades om förhandlingar inom WIPO (diplomatkonferens om genetiska resurser och traditionell kunskap) och WHO (pandemifördraget) samt gavs en uppdatering om det första året med ett enhetligt patentskydd i EU.

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Potatoes - that’s all you need!

On October 26, when the potatoes are freshly harvested, the yearly traditional Potato Day is celebrated in Sweden. It is organized by the Potato Academy in connection with the Potato Industry Foundation.The academy’s motto is “For the potato in time”.

So, what is so special about potatoes?

In the Patent Lawyer Sept/Oct 2023 Issue, Maria Zamkova reports on the history, as well as of the recent Swedish inventions based on potatoes, as an alternative to ice cream, for fuel, cleaning, and in the pharmaceutical industry.

Read the full article here:

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FENIX LEGAL = AN  IP STAR

Fenix Legal has once again been ranked by Managing IP as a patent & trade mark attorney firm IP STAR 2024. Additionally, we are proud to announce that Maria Zamkova, Head of Patent, has been recognized by IP STARS as a Notable Practitioner, and Petter Rindforth, Head of Trademark, as a Trademark Star.

The international Patent Lawyer Magazine has also recognized Fenix Legal as Award Winning Law Firm for Patent 2024

We are thankful for the confidence our clients place in us and the much appreciated feedback provided – as we say:

Fenix Legal offers legal solutions for the creative minds!

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FICPI CET Meeting in Madrid

FICPI, Fédération Internationale des Conseils en Propriété Intellectuelle, recently held it Open Forum in Madrid, Spain. FICPI is the only international NGO whose membership consists entirely of IP attorneys in private practice.

The largest commitee in FICPI is the CET, the Study & Work Committee, whose acronym derives from the French name “Commission d’Étude et de Travail“.

Petter Rindforth from Fenix Legal is the Special Reporter (Domain Names & ADR) of CET, and presented the latest news of ICANNs new Registration Data Policy, the upcoming gTLD Second Round Announcement (open for new generic top level domain applications by Quarter 2, 2026), as well as the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO)  work in mediation. Rindforth is representing FICPI in EUIPO's Mediation Centre Stakeholder Network (MCSN), and participating in the special “Working Group on awareness, promotion and training”.

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INTA Annual Meeting 2024 -  at the birthplace of Coca-Cola

The International Trademark Association (INTA) had its 146th Annual Meeting May 18 – 22, 2024 in Atlanta, USA, the birthplace of one of the most well-known trade secrets ever: Coca-Cola. More than 10 000 Brand Owners, In-house Counsels, Government Officials, Academics  and IP professionals from 191 countries came together for seminars, working group meetings and meetings with IP experts. Maria Zamkova and Petter Rindforth participated on behalf of Fenix Legal. 

Our Fenix Legal team is actively involved in several working groups and committees, such as the Adjunct Professors, the ICANN Engagement Subcommittee of the INTERNET Committee, and the Panel of Trademark Mediators. 

Fenix Legal further participated in the TM5 and INTA workshop, where representatives from the National Intellectual Property Administration, PRC (CNIPA), the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), the Japan Patent Office (JPO), the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) and the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) exchanged information on trademark-related matters, presented their work with undertaking cooperative activities for their mutual benefit, and for the interests of their respective trademark filers and registrants, such as Fenix Legal.

Some other interesting topics during the meeting were participation in the Patent Professionals networking; a global panel discussion on Decoding Copyright in the Era of ChatGPT: Generative AI and Copyright Law; and a Comparative Review of Greenwashing Challenges in Common Law and Civil Law Jurisdictions - Consumer demand for environmentally friendly products and services is increasing exponentially and companies are making efforts to publicize their green credentials. This is a topic that Fenix Legal is continuously involved in, and has presented from a Swedish point of view in several articles in international IP magazines.

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Geographical indications:

the history of the Swedish horse and knife

Since 1992 a special type of protection for wines, spirit drinks and other agricultural products and foodstuffs such as cheese has been available in the European Union. It is called geographical indications (GI).

On May 24, 2023, EU ambassadors confirmed an agreement reached between the Council Presidency and the European Parliament representatives on the proposal for a Regulation on geographical indication protection also for craft and industrial products. The new system aims to promote and protect cultural heritage and traditional know-how in Europe and is expected to cover as many as 800 jewellery, textile, lace, natural stone, cutlery, glass and porcelain products.

In the World IP Review, No 1 / 2023, Petter Rindforth of Fenix Legal  describes the new system and how two well-known Swedish examples  - the Dala Horse and the Mora Knife may or may register for this new protection.

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