The number of trademarks registered for spirits and liqueurs in the UK has increased by 84% over the last five years, according to figures released on July 30 by professional services firm RPC.
In 2017, 2,210 trademarks were registered for those categories in the UK, compared to just 1,199 in 2013. The 2017 total increased by 41% compared to the figure from 2016, when 1,570 marks were registered.
Ben Mark, legal director at RPC, suggested that the increase is due to brands and supermarkets expanding their product lines by releasing their own artisan-style spirits. Many are also experimenting with flavours or launching limited runs of products. This is a departure from previous practices, when companies would concentrate their marketing spend on a few core brands or products.
Already this year there have been a number of IP disputes in the alcohol industry, as reported by WIPR.
On July 31, the UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO) denied Bacardi’s application to register whisky trademark ‘Angel’s Envy’. Bacardi had applied to cover North American whisky, but La Fée, a distiller and manufacturer of absinthe, claimed that Bacardi’s application was too similar to its own mark ‘Envy’.

Source: WIPR