RSS
Another Embarassment For French 'Three Strikes' Agency... As Someone Beats Them To Filing For Trademark
from the so-easy-to-infringe-these-days dept
Earlier this year, we noted that the French government organization put in charge of enforcing the new "three strikes" law in the country, Hadopi, had used an unauthorized font in creating its logo. The organization also got in some hot water over leaked plans for ways to monitor users. The latest, as pointed out by Glyn Moody, is that someone else beat the organization to apply for a trademark on "Hadopi." The article seems to suggest that this guy who applied first is likely to get it, but that doesn't make much sense to me. At least in the US, you need to actually use the trademark in commerce to be eligible for it, and it's not clear this guy is doing anything at all with Hadopi. On top of that, there's such a thing as common law trademarks for those who used the mark first -- but, again, I'm not quite sure how that works in France. Any European trademark lawyers want to weigh in?
Either way, if the guy does get it, he's planning on suing Hadopi. The guy did this in the first place because he's not a fan of the three strikes law, and thinks that there should be some more discussion on it. Oh yeah, he's also promoting his own online music service as well, so this is certainly a large publicity stunt. Still, for an organization that's supposed to be about "protecting intellectual property," it hasn't shown itself to be very on the ball so far.
Either way, if the guy does get it, he's planning on suing Hadopi. The guy did this in the first place because he's not a fan of the three strikes law, and thinks that there should be some more discussion on it. Oh yeah, he's also promoting his own online music service as well, so this is certainly a large publicity stunt. Still, for an organization that's supposed to be about "protecting intellectual property," it hasn't shown itself to be very on the ball so far.
I have an app...
Top 5 Reasons Why Mobile Analytics Is Important
App Developer Conversations: What Does The iPad Mini Mean For The App Economy?
I have a business...
The Future Of Commerce Will Combine Your Social Network And Mobile Device
Why 50,000 Monthly Active Users Weren't Enough To Stop This Company From Pivoting, With Spun Co-Founder Scott Lindenbaum
I’m looking for policy...
Developers On Patents: Ron Garret of Awun
Application Developers Alliance Applauds Schumer Plan To Introduce Patent Legislation
Reader Comments (rss)
(Flattened / Threaded)
Embarrassment for German notice sending system
http://www.gulli.com/news/gvu-opsec-security-entschuldigen-sich-ein-bisschen-2010-08-11
[ reply to this | link to this | view in chronology ]
Trademarks
I suspect it's the same way in the U.S.
[ reply to this | link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Trademarks
[ reply to this | link to this | view in chronology ]
Trademark expiration for lack of use
Here in Portugal, we have a famous example from a guy who filed Cristiano Ronaldo's (the soccer player) trademark before he did (CR7 or CR9 - whatever number was on his team shirt) and got payed a bucket load when Cristiano setup a clothings line with that trademark... a veritable "trademark troll" :)
[ reply to this | link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Trademark expiration for lack of use
As a consequence, the first one who come will be the first served.
The Hadopi organization can only prove that it owned other prior rights on the "Hadopi" name.
[ reply to this | link to this | view in chronology ]
[ reply to this | link to this | view in chronology ]
[ reply to this | link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
[ reply to this | link to this | view in chronology ]
Three Strikes
[ reply to this | link to this | view in chronology ]
Good!
[ reply to this | link to this | view in chronology ]
TMs
[ reply to this | link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Sunglasses Oakey,coach,gucci $12
[ reply to this | link to this | view in chronology ]
Common law
There is no common law in France. They have Civil Code (or, Code Civil in French). It's quite different. As has been covered numerous times on this blog, the French legal decisions often do not make sense to us. This is why. The Napoleonic code's (that is where it comes from) entire legal doctrine is quite different.
On a side note, the most hilarious application of Code Civil is in Québec, Canada. So basically one Judicial system exists in Canada but in Quebec Code Civil is applied and in the rest of Canada common law is applied. Which makes searching for precedents so much more interesting.
[ reply to this | link to this | view in chronology ]
French Trademark Law
It is a major conceptual and cultural difference. Likely that the registrant knew of Hadopi and that Hadopi's prior use can be proven.
But while the French registration is in effect, it is quite powerful. A French huissier (sheriff) properly authorized will seize and destroy goods that infringe a registered mark. So before you attend a trade show in France, check what's registered...
[ reply to this | link to this | view in chronology ]
HADOPI organization won!
Therefore, this trademark has been registered by the organization in August.
I was willing to indicate the links but the database does not allow direct links but i can provide screenshots if needed.
[ reply to this | link to this | view in chronology ]
Add Your Comment