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Crocs at the EUIPO: How Near Is Too Near in the Language of Design Law?
The European Union Intellectual Property Office has once again clarified how far a designer may go when drawing inspiration from a familiar form. On 7 November 2025, the Invalidity Division ruled in favour of Crocs in proceedings against FLAMEshoes Slovakia, finding that the latter’s foam clog produced the same overall impression as the Crocs design.…
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Fendi vs Fendi Club: Reputation Requires Quantifiable Proof
Fendi faced a challenge to its name when Europe Design Center sought registration for “Fendi Club”, a mark that stepped directly into the linguistic space of the Italian house. Its structure, Fendi followed by Club, implied affiliation, as though denoting a exclusive circle or collection within the brand’s own world. Unsurprisingly, Fendi opposed the filing,…
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Miu Miu vs Mumu: Subtle Change, Substantial Confusion
When Prada’s, owner of the Miu Miu brand, opposed the registration of the sign Mumu for eyewear, the dispute appeared, on its surface, to turn on a minor phonetic resemblance. Yet the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) found that resemblance sufficient to bar registration entirely. The decision reveals how repetition functions as a powerful…
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Dr Martens and the Yellow Stitching before the Brussels Court of Appeal
Airwair International vs Retail Distribution Concepts (30 September 2025) The maker of Dr Martens, Airwair International, brought a case in Belgium against Retail Distribution Concepts BV (Redisco), the company operating the Mano and Pronti shoe stores, over a series of boots that closely resembled its design. The dispute centred on the yellow stitching running around…
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CHHU vs CHOO: No Likelihood of Confusion
On 4 September 2025, the EUIPO Opposition Division delivered a decision that quietly reaffirmed a fundamental principle in trade mark protection for the luxury and design industries, the eye matters more than the ear. In this opposition, British luxury house J. Choo Limited, owner of the JIMMY CHOO brand, sought to block registration of CHHU,…
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Coty vs Excell Brands: When “Our Version Of” Became a Trademark Infringement
Coty vs Excell Brands shows that copying a product, even when presented as a similar to or inspired by version, can still count as infringement. The case makes clear that how a product is described and marketed matters just as much as the product itself. While this dispute involved imitation perfumes sold as affordable alternatives…
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How Fashion Designers in Nigeria Can Benefit from Contracts
The Nigerian fashion industry has experienced remarkable growth over the past decade, accounting for around 15% of the fashion and textile industry in Africa, Africa’s second largest industry.1 From Lagos Fashion Week to global runways in Paris and New York, Nigerian designers have built an international reputation for their innovation, cultural authenticity, and unparalleled aesthetics.…
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Chanel Protects CC Mark Against Confusingly Similar Trademark
On 24 September 2025, the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) Opposition Division upheld Chanel’s opposition to a European Union trade mark application filed by Organic Choice Ltd. The application covered goods in Class 3 and Class 25, including perfumery, cosmetics, clothing, footwear, and headgear. The opposition relied on Chanel’s French trade mark registration and…
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Chanel Prevails After Opposing JNANEL Trade Mark
The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) has rejected the trade mark application for JNANEL (figurative) following opposition by Chanel based on its earlier word mark CHANEL. On 16 September 2025, the Opposition Division agreed with Chanel and refused the application in full. The decision highlights the importance of how a mark sounds, showing that…