< Back to latest news & events

Event

WIPR webinar: The use of trade mark rights to protect fashion designs

July 2021

WIPR is holding a webinar on 8th September at 4pm (BST)/11am ET, where HGF Partner Lee Curtis and Trade Mark Director Rebecca Field will present on ‘A little less ordinary: the use of trade mark rights to protect fashion designs’.

It is widely presumed that copyright and design rights are the principal, if not the only, way to protect key aspects of fashion design, such as the look of clothing items.

However, trade mark rights, registered and unregistered, are often overlooked from both offensive and defensive points of view. The recent decision of the UK Intellectual Property and Enterprise Court (IPEC) in Freddy v Hugz Clothing has highlighted the possibility of protecting fashion design, in that case a pair of jeans, via the common law right of passing off.

The case highlighted some of the difficulties of enforcing such rights. Registered trade mark rights, such as position trade marks, cannot and should not be overlooked when considering protecting elements of fashion design. IP rights owners should not overlook trade mark rights, and if you are the subject of a claim such rights should not be dismissed.

Join Lee Curtis and Rebecca Field, on September 8, 2021 at 4pm BST/ 11am ET for a discussion on Freddy SPA v Hugz Clothing Ltd decision and the use of registered and unregistered trade mark rights in the protection of fashion design.

 

Latest updates

The EPO Board of Appeal comments on the scope of the morality exclusion from patentability

The recent decision, T1553/22 of the Board of Appeal required the Board to consider the scope of the exclusions from patentability under Article 53(a) EPC. The invention in this case …

Read article

The Strawberry Patent Battle: Seeds, Speculation, and Jurisdiction

  This case, relating to infringement of a US plant patent, deals with the evidentiary burden required to show infringement of a plant patent in the US, as well as …

Read article

PRESS RELEASE: HGF Announces Promotion of Nine New Partners Following CBPE Investment

HGF is proud to announce the promotion of nine new partners across the firm, marking a significant milestone following private investment from CBPE in October 2024. These promotions follow the …

Read article

HGF named as Intellectual Property Firm of the Year (Leeds) at the Legal Insider Awards

We are proud to announce that HGF has been recognised as the Intellectual Property Firm of the Year – Leeds 2025 – by the Legal Insider! This acknowledgment is a …

Read article
Event - 3rd June 2025

Salzburg Seminar: Patents, trademarks, intellectual property rights – how startups can act strategically

Young companies make many important decisions during the start-up phase. One of the most important questions is: How do I deal strategically with innovations, ideas, and brand development? Those who …

Event details

IP Ingredients: Why are food tech patent applications in Europe falling?

Number of European patent applications and grants in Food Chemistry In March 2025 the European Patent Office (EPO) published its Patent Index 2024 – an analysis of the number of …

Read article

Re-defining Design Protection in the European Union – What it means for your business

On 1 May 2025, the first phase of the European Union’s long-anticipated design law reforms come into effect, with the second phase of changes being brought in on 1 July …

Read article