Colour as a Trademark: Famous Cases and What Businesses Should Know
Can a color alone function as a trademark? The answer is yes – but with strict conditions. In Europe and Hungary, colors may be registered as trademarks if they are distinctive enough to identify the goods or services of one company from those of others.
Some of the world’s most iconic brands have succeeded in this: Tiffany Blue, Milka Purple, and Louboutin Red are prime examples. But not every attempt has been successful, and the bar for distinctiveness is high.
But what exactly does a cease and desist letter mean under EU and Hungarian law, and what should your clients do if they receive one?
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Cease and Desist Letters: What to Do If You Receive One
A cease and desist letter is often the first step in an intellectual property dispute. For many businesses, receiving such a letter can be stressful: it usually alleges infringement of trademarks, designs, copyrights, or patents and demands that you immediately stop using a certain mark, product, or content.
But what exactly does a cease and desist letter mean under EU and Hungarian law, and what should your clients do if they receive one?
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Software and Patents: What Can Be Protected in Europe?
Software patents are one of the most misunderstood areas of intellectual property law. The European Patent Convention (EPC) explicitly excludes “programs for computers as such” from patentability. Many conclude from this that software cannot be patented at all in Europe.
The truth is more nuanced. If the software provides a technical solution to a technical problem – often by interacting with or controlling hardware – it can be patented. In addition, there are other valuable layers of protection available, such as copyright and voluntary registration in Hungary.
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Monitoring Your IP: Why Trademark Watch Services Are Worth the Investment
For many businesses, obtaining a trademark registration feels like the end of the journey. In reality, it is only the beginning. A registered right has little value if infringements go unnoticed. This is where trademark watch services come into play – systematic tools that monitor official registers and alert rights holders to new, potentially conflicting applications.
For IP firms managing client portfolios in the EU and Hungary, understanding how watch services work is essential.
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Black-and-White or Greyscale Trademark Applications: When Is It Worth Protecting Your Logo This Way?
When a business considers filing a trademark application, one of the first questions is how to file the logo: in colour, black-and-white, or even in greyscale. Many believe that if a trademark is registered in black-and-white, the protection automatically covers all colour variations – but this is no longer entirely the case. European practice has become harmonised in recent years, and it’s important to understand the current rules.
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What happens if you miss a deadline? Trademark and patent restoration options in Hungary
A trademarked brand name or patent has significant value, as long as it is not forgotten to renew it. Indeed, one administrative omission can lead to loss of exclusivity, registration by others or loss of protection of the invention.
But are all time limits final? Fortunately not. Hungarian law provides for a range of remedies if someone has missed a deadline, whether through inattention or force majeure.
In this article, we explain what time limits to bear in mind in trade mark and patent cases, and in which cases and how to restore rights. Let's get started!
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Top Hungarian brands and what they teach us about trademark strategy in Central Europe
Famous Hungarian brands and trademark strategy, how are they related? Much more than we think! The stories of the best-known Hungarian brands clearly highlight certain key aspects.
Especially if your company operates in the Central European region. From these stories we not only understand the past, but we can also draw concrete lessons for today's market environment. Let's get started!
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Top mistakes IP firms make when filing in Hungary and how to avoid them
Expanding IP protection into Hungary may seem straightforward until the details start to matter. From procedural nuances to language barriers and disclosure expectations, foreign IP firms often stumble on issues that could have been avoided with local insight.
In this article, we highlight the most common mistakes international attorneys make when filing in Hungary and how to avoid them before they become costly setbacks.
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