Insights

Brussels – June 27, 2023: Crowell & Moring was honored with two awards: “Impact Case of the Year in Belgium” and “Impact Case of the Year in Europe” by Managing IP. The awards were presented at the publication’s annual IP awards ceremony on June 21, recognizing firms, individuals and companies “behind the most innovative and challenging IP work of the past year, as well as those driving the international IP market.”

Chicago – February 9, 2023: World Trademark Review has recognized Crowell & Moring as a top trademark firm on both sides of the Atlantic, listing Crowell both in the U.S. national rankings and Belgium national rankings in its 2023 guide. In addition to its U.S. national rankings, Crowell received the highest ranking—gold—in Illinois, and also earned regional recognition in California.

Los Angeles and Brussels – February 22, 2021: World Trademark Review has ranked Crowell & Moring as one of the top trademark firms in Brussels and California in the WTR 1000 research directory, which focuses exclusively on the world’s leading trademark practices and practitioners. The annual list identifies firms in the trademark space by considering depth of expertise, market presence, and level of work, as well as peer and client feedback.

On 28 November 2022, the European Commission adopted proposals for a revision of Council Regulation (EC) No 6/2002 of 12 December 2001 on Community designs (“Community Design Regulation”) and Directive 98/71/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 October 1998 on the legal protection of designs (“Design Directive”). Together, these two legal instruments form the main pillars of legal protection of designs in the EU. By revising these laws, the Commission aims to modernize a legal framework which has remained in effect for more than 20 years and make the protection of industrial designs in the EU quicker, cheaper and more predictable.

While fashion lovers throughout the European Union will surely be familiar with the pattern, the General Court held that luxury fashion house Louis Vuitton failed to demonstrate that its trademark checkerboard ‘Damier Azur’ pattern, had acquired distinctiveness through use throughout the European Union.

On November 17, 2022, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) issued four important decisions (here) relating to parallel imports of branded products within the internal market of the European Union (EU). This is a complex topic at the crossroads of free movement of goods and trademark enforcement in the EU.