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  • How the war in Ukraine is changing IP laws in Russia and beyond

    Countries around the world have levied heavy sanctions on Russia ever since it invaded Ukraine. Some multinational companies have also halted their operations in the country. In turn, Russia has retaliated with a series of bans and even changed its intellectual property laws.
    Many movie studios in the West have refused to release new movies in Russia. Warner Bros had planned to release The Batm

  • Rip-off or not: Makers of Russian movie Yolki 8 accused of copying "human Christmas tree" photo concept

    Social media is filled with photos and videos used by people who do not seek permission from the original creators. Most recently, for example, a Russian production house was pinpointed as having copied the original concept of a photographer without bothering to tweak the original concept even slightly.
    In December 2015, photographer Stig Havard Dirdal was hired by the Norwegian camera store St

  • High Court dismisses claim for copyright infringement in pop song

    The following article by Rachel Alexander was first published here by Wiggin, a UK based firm focused on the practice of media, technology and intellectual property law. It is re-published here with Wiggin's permission.

    The claimant, Kelly-Marie Smith, is the composer and lyricist of a song, “Can You Tell Me”. The song was never released commercially, but in October 2007 Ms Smith perform

  • Nike sues StockX for violating trademarks over NFTs

    Non-fungible tokens or NFTs continue to be in vogue in 2022, but so have the confusions and legal issues arising from them. In the latest round of actions, Nike has sued StockX for violating trademarks by selling its digital tokens without permission.
    StockX is a US-based online resale marketplace that sells streetwear, handbags, and other goods, valued at about US$3.8 billion. In January, it

  • Spanx’s founder couldn’t afford a patent attorney. So she figured out how to protect her IP herself.

    Twenty years ago, American entrepreneur Sara Blakely launched a business selling shapewear that was more comfortable and more effective than anything else on the market at the time. She called the brand Spanx. And in 2021, she sold a majority share of this business to investment company Blackstone, bringing her net worth to over US$1 billion.
    Blakely couldn’t have grown her business without tre

  • Rip-off or not: Wordle and the word games it inspired

    Wordle is the new sensation sweeping the Internet, and it all boils down to its resolutely simple rules. This word game is hosted on an ad-free website, you can only play it once a day, and the creator has no intention of making the game addictive or viral. There isn’t even an app version — at least not an official one.
    Still, this game of guessing a different five-letter English word each day

  • Singapore association launches guide to best practices in pitching

    Here’s a subject close to the hearts of all innovators whose livelihoods depend on successfully pitching their original ideas to potential clients — what are some key guidelines that can make productive working relationships more likely?
    To address this issue, the Association of Advertising and Marketing Singapore (AAMS) and global marketing consultancy R3 have developed a Pitch Best Practices

  • India steps up IP protection for Darjeeling Himalayan Railway's century-old logos

    Being named a UNESCO World Heritage Site can help to catalyse tourist interest, and thus generate value for a country’s economy. As these sites are regularly reviewed to assess whether their conservation status qualifies them for a continued place on this list, it also incentivises governments to prioritise the protection of their countries’ historical architecture and infrastructure. If one views

  • Rip-off or not: How teardrop-shaped make-up sponges became all the rage

    In a 2016 lawsuit, beauty company Avon admitted liability for infringing on Rea.deeming Beauty’s intellectual property rights. The object in question was a hot pink make-up sponge that Avon had named “Beauty Blender”. And as all make-up buffs know, the most famous Beautyblender (yes, that’s how it’s officially spelled) was invented by Rea Ann Silva, the founder of Rea.deeming Beauty.
    Let’s sta

  • What might a full IP protection toolkit for brands look like?

    The continued growth of e-commerce means that counterfeit products which were once sold on the streets in the dark of night can now be purchased on the world’s most popular retail platforms. Bharat Kapoor – Vice-President, Online Brand Protection, for authentication and information services firm Authentix – shares more about how to tackle this problem.



    This conversation with PitchMa

  • Giving creators more recognition

    The Copyright Bill tabled in Singapore’s Parliament on July 6, 2021, came into force in November. What were the factors that spurred these amendments, and what do they mean for creators and their clients? Lam Chung Nian – who heads the Intellectual Property, Technology & Data Group at Singapore’s WongPartnership law firm – shares more.



    This conversation with PitchMark managing p

  • Australia’s approach to online enforcement for copyright infringement

    Michael Williams heads the intellectual property group at Australian law firm Gilbert + Tobin, and played an instrumental role in advocating for the introduction of site blocking under Australian copyright law.



    In this conversation with PitchMark legal advisor Frank Rittman, he elaborates on how Australian legislation deals with Internet service providers whose networks are used by

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