[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ theme_builder_area=”post_content” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”0px||0px||true|false” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content” width=”100%” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” type=”4_4″ theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content” text_font_size=”1.2em” text_line_height=”1.5em” text_orientation=”justified” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″]In a recent decision, The European General Court has ruled that companies with well-established trademarks for physical goods and\/or services can extend their reputation to virtual markets. <\/p>\n
This decision came in the case of Glash\u00fctter Uhrenbetrieb GmbH v. EUIPO, where the luxury watchmaker sought to register \u201cGlash\u00fctte Original\u201d for protecting virtual goods. The EUIPO rejected the application, arguing that \u201cGlash\u00fctte\u201d evokes a German watchmaking city, making the sign non-distinctive. Glash\u00fctter appealed, contending that reputation for physical goods should not automatically transfer to digital goods. However, the General Court upheld the decision, emphasizing that public perception of a sign does not change when transitioning to virtual goods. <\/p>\n
This ruling contradicts EUIPO\u2019s 2024 Guidelines, which previously suggested that digital and physical goods should not be assumed to be similar. The recent decisi\u00f3n is also expected to influence future intellectual property disputes across the EU, raising questions about the evolving landscape of signs in virtual marketplaces.[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The European General Court has ruled that companies with well-established trademarks for physical goods and\/or services can extend their reputation to virtual markets.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":4416316,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[50,59],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4416313","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-trademarks-2","category-newsletter-en"],"yoast_head":"\n