There's no question that intellectual property is the lifeblood of the global tech sector, and growing companies that play fast and loose with their patents do so at their own peril. Indeed, for many startups, a poorly filed application or unwitting early disclosure could pose an existential threat. We've outlined below some golden rules to help your company devise and implement an airtight patent strategy. 1. Act now Canada is a first-to-file jurisdiction, meaning [...]

In May, Japan entered a new era, known as Reiwa, following the abdication of Emperor Akihito, and, consequently, ending the Heisei era. You may be asking, "What does this have to do with Japanese patent numbers?", and these days the answer is "not much", but that hasn't always been the case. Prior to 2000, the Japanese patent numbering system used the Emperor year (the number of years since the current Emperor ascended the Chrysanthemum [...]

The Plaintiff claiming to be registered proprietor and user of the trademarks "CHUR CHUR NAAN" and "AMRITSARI CHUR CHUR NAAN" filed a suit for infringement and passing off seeking injunction against the use of the mark "PAHARGANJ KE CHUR CHUR NAAN" and "AMRITSARI CHUR CHUR NAAN". The dispute involved two outlets based in Paharganj, Delhi which were using competing marks for their outlets. The question before the court was that whether there can be [...]