Future of The Unified Patent Court (UPC)

Preparations for the Unitary Patent (UP) and the Unified Patent Court (UPC) have progressed. The court estimates that it will start operating in early 2023. There are currently a little over 50,000 European patents and national patents valid in Finland. With the Unified Patent System, the number of patents concerning...

Finnish Patent and Registration Office rejected trademark opposition in the Kalevala dispute

The Finnish Patent and Registration Office (PRH) has given its decision regarding the Kalevala dispute Dispute arose between two Finnish companies over the use of the name ‘Kalevala’, when a Helsinki based Finnish cultural tourism project called Kalevala kartalle wished to use the word ‘Kalevala’ in its logo. Kalevala Koru, a Finnish company creating traditional jewelry, filed an opposition to the trademark registration, claiming that there is a risk of confusion with the project’s...

Enforcing your intellectual property rights

How to protect your intellectual property There are several forms of intellectual property that your company may own, for example trademarks, patents, designs, utility models or copyrighted works. Although confidentiality laws may protect some of these assets, it is crucial that your company remembers to take active measures and look...

What will happen to EU trademarks after Brexit?

EU law will stop applying in the UK on 31st December 2020 due to Brexit. This will of course have its implications on the EU trademark system as we know it. The UK officials have given guidelines regarding the applicability of trademarks registered within the EU. If you already have a...

How to build an independent eSports league on solid legal ground

As we spend more and more time at home playing games, the thought may come to mind “Should I test my metal in an online tournament? Or maybe our friendly group tournament could be something bigger...”  Due to gaming in general becoming more mainstream and becoming more than just a hobby, as shown by the explosive growth of the eSports industry during...

Protecting your brand

About brand protection and branding Nowadays the brand of the company or product is one of the most valuable assets of the business. A good brand is not only memorable, but it generates positive perceptions of the company. The brand promises something, and consumers or other companies rely on that...

EU Copyright Directive being prepared for national implementation

In March 2019 the European Parliament approved the long-awaited reform of the Copyright Directive, the primary aim of which is to bring copyright rules into the modern era. The EU Council of Ministers gave its final approval of the Directive at the end of April, so member countries now have...