Our selection of #IPNEWS and articles of the week.

1.      The German press publishers’ right before the CJEU – will it survive? The AG’s opinion in VG Media/Google (C‑299/17) and some background from Germany

- http://copyrightblog.kluweriplaw.com/2019/01/21/the-german-press-publishers-right-before-the-cjeu-will-it-survive-the-ags-opinion-in-vg-mediagoogle-c%E2%80%9129917-and-some-background-from-germany/

- The English translation of the German Act on Copyright and Related Rights (UrhG) is available at: http://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/englisch_urhg/englisch_urhg.html#p0659

- While the Opinion of the Advocate General can be found at: http://curia.europa.eu/juris/document/document.jsf;jsessionid=970DCF131004BF78F22250F0894A02A4?text=&docid=208982&pageIndex=0&doclang=EN&mode=req&dir=&occ=first&part=1&cid=1703696

- Further analysis of the Opinion are available at: http://ipkitten.blogspot.com/2018/12/ag-hogan-advises-cjeu-to-rule-that.html

2.      Unwaivable equitable remuneration rights for performers: disruption or balancing of interests?

- http://copyrightblog.kluweriplaw.com/2019/01/20/unwaivable-equitable-remuneration-rights-for-performers-disruption-or-balancing-of-interests/

- The full article “‘We want Artists to be Fully and Fairly Paid for their Work’: Discourses on Fairness in the Neoliberal European Copyright Reform” can be found at: https://www.jipitec.eu/issues/jipitec-9-2-2018/4731

- The Study of the European Parliament on the balance of interests of Publishers, Authors and Performers can be examined here: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2017/596810/IPOL_STU(2017)596810_EN.pdf

3.      The transpositions of the Trademark Directive are ongoing in:

- Poland: http://trademarkblog.kluweriplaw.com/2019/01/18/poland-eu-trademark-directive-transposition-almost-done/

- Greece: http://trademarkblog.kluweriplaw.com/2019/01/14/greece-new-trademark-law-draft-open-for-public-consultation/

- Austria: http://trademarkblog.kluweriplaw.com/2019/01/14/implementation-of-the-trademarks-directive-in-austria-noteworthy-amendments-and-other-novelties-of-interest/

- Lithuania: https://intellectualpropertyplanet.wordpress.com/2019/01/23/lithuania-introduced-some-important-changes-in-its-trademark-legislation/

- Czech Republic: https://intellectualpropertyplanet.wordpress.com/2019/01/18/important-amendments-in-the-czech-trademark-law-came-into-force/

- The full text of the Directive can be found at: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32015L2436

4.      Is Article 8(3) EUTMR applicable only to identical marks?

- http://trademarkblog.kluweriplaw.com/2019/01/10/is-article-83-eutmr-applicable-only-to-identical-marks-the-general-court-pitches-in-but-it-is-not-the-last-word-yet/

- hereby the full text of the General Court Judgment: http://curia.europa.eu/juris/document/document_print.jsf?docid=206789&text=&dir=&doclang=EN&part=1&occ=first&mode=lst&pageIndex=0&cid=10192471

5.      CHEESE for (cannabis) seeds not a valid trade mark, says EUIPO First Board of Appeal

- http://ipkitten.blogspot.com/2019/01/cheese-for-cannabis-seeds-not-valid.html

- The interesting decision of the EUIPO First Board of Appeal:

https://oami.europa.eu/copla/trademark/data/013924139/download/CLW/APL/2018/EN/20181025_R2333_2017-1.pdf?app=caselaw&casenum=R2333/2017-1&trTypeDoc=NA

6.      Fresh updates on the Fortnite lawsuits

- http://ipkitten.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-fortnite-lawsuits-why-performers.html

- https://www.theverge.com/2019/1/23/18194912/blocboy-jb-fortnite-sues-epic-games-shoot-dance-emote-backpack-kid-2-milly

- https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/11/arts/fortnite-floss-dance-lawsuits.html

- https://www.worldipreview.com/news/us-rapper-sues-fortnite-creator-over-dance-move-17412

- The lawsuits filed against Epic Games before the District Court of California are available at: http://patentarcade.com/tag/ribeiro-v-epic-games-inc

7.      PMI obtains a pan-EU interim injunction against an IQOS copycat

- http://ipkitten.blogspot.com/2019/01/mr-justice-nugee-grants-philip-morris.html

- https://www.designwrites.law/pmi-obtains-a-pan-eu-interim-injunction-against-an-iqos-copycat/

- https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=c287b531-fad0-44d7-8854-f79e3ad5425d

8.      The World’s Top 10 Science and Technology Hotspots

- https://www.wipo.int/econ_stat/en/economics/news/2019/news_0001.html

- https://www.theverge.com/2019/1/17/18187026/google-fossil-group-smartwatch-sale-40-million-wear-os-android

- https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/17/google-to-buy-fossil-smartwatch-tech-for-40-million.html

9.      Google buys Fossil Group’s smartwatch technology for $40m

- https://www.worldipreview.com/news/google-buys-fossil-group-s-smartwatch-technology-for-40m-17386

10.  The Rise of a New Generation of AI Avatars

- https://singularityhub.com/2019/01/15/the-rise-of-a-new-generation-of-ai-avatars/#sm.001m5w6zj1b5gfmqy7b10pma2apmp

11.  The Italian Guardia di Finanza implemented a raid action against manufacturers of counterfeit “Hogan” shoes

-  https://siac.gdf.it/notizie/Pagine/Scoperti-4-laboratori-e-3-depositi-di-scarpe-%E2%80%9CHogan%E2%80%9D-taroccate.aspx

12.  The operation “PIRATI” is at a tapping point

- https://siac.gdf.it/notizie/Pagine/-Operazione-PIRATI.aspx