IKEA waits 8 years, then shuts down IKEAhackers site with trademark claim

Jules Yap (a pseudonym) created the IKEAHackers website in 2006 for the purpose of gathering together all the cool "hacks" of IKEA furniture she had seen around the Internet. The ideas range from simply adding decorations to make a piece look unique to major revamps that require "power tools and lots of ingenuity."

Yesterday, Yap told her following that she had "a bit of bad news"—IKEA's trademark lawyers sent her a "cease and desist" letter that was causing her to give up the domain name. "I am crushed," wrote Yap, who will move to a new as-yet-unnamed domain in the near future.

While she will keep the IKEAHackers site, Yap will transition to a new as-yet-unnamed domain in the near future, where she will be able to host advertisements. Yap described herself as "a blogger who is obviously on their side," and she lamented the fact that the company didn't talk to her "like normal people do without issuing a C&D."


http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2014/06/ikea-waits-8-years-then-shuts-down-ikeahackers-site-with-trademark-claim/

China’s new trademark law strengthens position of trademark owners

China’s new trademark law entered into force on 1 May 2014 and ushers in key changes in the areas of trademark registration, anti-piracy, well-known marks, proceedings and enforcement. This new law strengthens the position of trademark holders to act against infringement. And procedures will be shortened in time and carried out more efficiently. The new law is of great importance for companies that want to do business in China. However, there is much uncertainty amongst Chinese practitioners how the law will work in practice and what it will mean for the registration process. We will continue to monitor and report on developments.

China has long been criticised for being a safe harbour of counterfeit and trademark hijacking and for trademarks rights being violated on a large scale without repercussions. The rights of trademark holders will now be protected more effectively and efficiently. The new law is based on international standards, and De Brauw contributed to drafting the new law before the parliamentary committee in China. There are now substantial changes for rightsholders to strengthen their trademark protection and other new provisions, some of which are highlighted below.

Chevy trademarks 'Zora,' is a special Corvette on the way?

Automakers trademark names all the time, whether they want to protect some part of their past or if they are considering a model even far in the future. But occasionally a trademark pops up that is much more enticing than the rest. For example, General Motors recently reserved the name Zora for "motor land vehicles, namely, automobiles," according to the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

The name Zora in association with GM immediately calls to mind the Corvette. Zora Arkus-Duntov is generally considered the father of the 'Vette, at least as the performance car we know it today. He helped get the Chevrolet V8 in the first-generation model to provide a performance boost over its relatively anemic inline-six. He also spearheaded the Grand Sport program that aimed to make the second-generation a world-class racing success.


http://www.autoblog.com/2014/06/10/chevy-corvette-zora-grand-sport-trademark/