Genuine use of a mark – The Delage case

A non-profit association that revives a mark for cars and provides spare parts to collectors does not make a genuine use of such mark. This is what the Cour de cassation, the Highest civil Court in France, decided in a case dealing about the French mark for...

Another Adwords case…

Here is another case of a trademark being used as a keyword to trigger commercial results on Google search engine. The facts are not original. The court’s decision is not either. However, it is a good opportunity to remind where the French courts stand on the question...

A concept before the courts

The French Cour de cassation, the highest civil court in France, recently issued a decision about how a concept can be protected through intellectual property rights. It is interesting to study this decision to be reminded that, although it is not impossible,...

Collective or individual trademark?

The same sign may be filed simultaneously as a collective and as an individual trademark, depending on the intentions of use of the trademark by its owner. But filing a sign as an individual trademark and using it as a collective trademark may be a problem. That is...