Bonjour From France

Louis Vuitton bags Google

got this item from Olivier van Droogenbroek (Allen & Overy, Brussels) first. Many thanks, Olivier ...

Last Wed the Cour d'appel de Paris establish that Google had infringed Vuitton's merchandise marks, past times selling those marks equally adwords that were used past times sellers of counterfeit or infringing Louis Vuitton products. The most interesting piece of work of the determination (which has non all the same been published equally far equally Olivier or the IPKat are aware) is the following:

"Il lui est interdit, dans le cadre de boy activité de régie publicitaire, l'usage des marques appartenant à la société Louis-Vuitton sur toutes les extensions de boy site accessibles depuis la France".

In other (English) words, Google is ordered to refrain from using adwords on its websites if they are accessible inwards France, regardless of their summit degree domain extension (.com, .hk, …).

feels somewhat anxious close the work of adwords. It's all real good to say that the sale of manufacturers' merchandise marks equally adwords is legitimate where the purchaser is, say, a responsible together with respected retailer merely illegitimate where the purchaser sells fakes together with infringements. However, i time the adword is sold past times the search engine provider without the merchandise score possessor existence able to produce anything close it, it tin forcefulness out hold out hard for him to choke along monitoring the agency inwards which the adword is used. Merpel agrees: the job is peculiarly acuate where the adword user may hold out selling genuine products that convey been sourced from both within together with exterior the European Economic Area. Where does that larn out us?


New French copyright law

Following a tip-off from Richard Evans (IPworldonline) the IPKat tin forcefulness out confirm that the French Assemblée Nationale passed a novel copyright constabulary on Friday. This law, the so-called 'iTunes law', is intended to forcefulness Apple to brand its iPod music piece of work instrumentalist together with iTunes online shop compatible amongst rivals' offerings. According to Business Week Online, songs bought on iTunes tin forcefulness out hold out played entirely on iPods together with an iPod can't play downloads from other stores that competition the extensive iTunes music catalogue from major artists together with labels - similar Sony Corp.'s Connect together with Napster.

The constitutionality of the novel constabulary has been challenged past times opposition Socialists together with Greens together with it volition non come upwards into forcefulness afterward that challenge is exhausted. Less controversially, the French constabulary also introduces novel penalties for a arrive at of online piracy offences: upwards tthree years inwards prison theatre together with a 300,000 euro fine for knowingly offering or advertising a download service for pirated music or videos.

Below: how the French similar their apples - golden delicious ...

is surprised at the French first together with wonders what comport upon it volition brand - if it is held valid - upon the unmarried European marketplace set for music downloads. Merpel says, I'm surprised also that this has slipped past times equally a unique national first together with non equally emanating from the European Commission: it shows that, fifty-fifty now, it's non also piece of cake for European Union fellow member states to telephone outcry upwards the legislative shots. And if French Republic is correct to produce this, shouldn't all other fellow member states follow suit?

Why iTunes is also expensive here
Freedom Fries here