In Brazil, trade dress protection is supported in several regulations, all under the concept of unfair competition. Trade dress protection has also been widely acknowledged by the courts, and case law has been an important source of its doctrinal foundation. This article looks at trade dress protection in the beverage sector and examines several decisions which have granted such protection for types of beer, vodka and wine.

In a recent case, the Federal Court granted summary judgment in favour of the plaintiff in respect of its patent impeachment action. This decision further demonstrates the Federal Court's recent willingness to grant summary judgment in patent cases in appropriate circumstances. Accordingly, it appears that in certain cases, summary judgment may be a viable option to resolve patent disputes more expeditiously while avoiding the costs of a full patent trial.

As a rising fashion brand in China, Tommy Hilfiger has been constantly challenged by an increasing number of copycats. In a recent case, Tommy Hilfiger initiated an invalidation action against a Chinese company's disputed mark and successfully invalidated it on the grounds of prior use and the similarities between the designated goods of the disputed trademark and its cited trademark.

If an invention subject to confirmation is identical to a later-registered patent, a request for a scope confirmation trial will be considered improper as this could result in the later-registered patent's validity being denied without it being subject to an invalidity trial. However, the Patent Court recently ruled that if the IP Trial and Appeal Board ex officio dismisses a scope confirmation trial for this reason but fails to give the parties an opportunity to submit an opinion, such decision would be a procedural violation.

In an October 2020 judgment the Civil and Criminal Section of the Superior Court of Justice of Madrid largely dismissed the brief of appeal filed by the defendant against the convictional judgment, by which the Provincial Court of Madrid had sentenced him to a two-year prison sentence, a fine and payment of the damage compensation and legal costs of private prosecution for the commercialisation of products that infringed Adidas's Community trademarks and designs.

In 2019 the new Patent Act took effect, setting stricter time limits for parties to propose attack and defence methods in invalidation procedures to avoid delays in and improve the effectiveness of invalidation examinations. Following public confusion, the Taiwan Intellectual Property Office recently issued a Q&A on the examination practices of the Patent Act, to provide more detailed guidance on the interpretation and application of relevant provisions in specific cases. This article summarises the guidance.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic started, some new trends have emerged among non-profits looking to maximise their brand value. This article outlines strategies that non-profits should consider when working to maximise brand value, conduct a successful rebrand or monitor the use of copyrighted materials.