Articles
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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…
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Cartier Wins LOVE Bracelet Case in Paris
On 5 March 2025 the Paris Judicial Court (Tribunal judiciaire de Paris) gave judgment in a dispute between Cartier International AG and Société Cartier on one side and the British companies Goussin Ltd and Goussin Jeweler Ltd on the other. The case concerned the sale of bracelets marketed under the name LOVE. Cartier said these…
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Nigeria’s Traditional Fashion: Legal Protection and Preservation
Cultural misappropriation of traditional fashion expressions in nigeria and the urgent need for a sui generis framework Nigeria is a country rich in cultural diversity, home to over 250 indigenous ethnic groups. Each of these groups has fashion expressions unique to its heritage. The Yoruba’s Aso Oke, the Igbo’s George wrapper and beads, and the…
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Chanel N°5 vs N°9 Flower of Story: Packaging Recognised as Source Identifier in China
In 2019, CHANEL identified that a Chinese company, Yiwu Ai Zhi Yu Cosmetics Ltd. also referred to as Story of Love Cosmetics Co., Ltd. (SLC), was producing a perfume marketed as “N°9 Flower of Story,” which closely imitated the distinctive trade dress of CHANEL’s N5 perfume. The alleged infringing product replicated the bottle shape, stopper…
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France’s Fast Fashion Bill: Stitching Together Sustainability?
Ecological Transition Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher announced that France’s new law requiring clothing environmental cost labels empowers consumers, rewards sustainable producers, and counters the harmful impacts of ultra-fast fashion by increasing transparency and protecting domestic jobs.1 France is making a bold stand against the environmental and economic toll of fast fashion with its Fast Fashion Bill,…
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Bulgari Awarded Damages in Dispute Over Serpenti Lookalikes
In 31 January 2025, the Paris Court of Appeal handed down its ruling in the dispute between Bulgari and APM Monaco. At issue were designs from Bulgari’s Serpenti collection, centred on the stylised serpent head, the coiled form and the pear-cut gemstone eye. Bulgari claimed that APM’s Egyptian Tribute and Archi Noir collections reproduced these…