IGIR/IPKM expert lectures
Introductie lecture series
The IGIR/IPKM expert lecture series addresses topics in the field of Innovation, Trade, Investment and Competition Law that are relevant to for today’s society. We invite speakers from academia and private practice to share insights on recent developments and to stimulate a debate with staff and students, in an informal setting.
All are welcome to attend.
Upcoming Lecture
The next lecture will take place on Friday, 31 October 2025, from 18:30 to 20:00, featuring Dr Elena Izyumenko, PhD, Assistant Professor at the University of Amsterdam.
On this occasion, the lecture will be hosted by the Institute for Globalisation and International Regulation in conjunction with the Maastricht Centre for Human Rights.
Lecture title: “Trademark Law Meets Political Expression: The Pending IKEA v. Vlaams Belang Case at the CJEU.”
Abstract
The pending IKEA v. Vlaams Belang case (C-298/23) before the Court of Justice of the European Union raises a fundamental question at the intersection of trademark law and freedom of expression. IKEA sued the right-wing Belgian political party Vlaams Belang for parodying its name, logo, and colours in a campaign titled “IKEA Plan” (Immigratie Kan Echt Anders—“Immigration Really Can Be Different”). The Belgian court asked whether such political parody can amount to “due cause” under EU trademark rules—a notion allowing certain uses of a mark to be justified despite the owner’s exclusive rights. This lecture examines how the case invites the CJEU to interpret trademark protection through the lens of fundamental rights, particularly freedom of expression as developed in European human rights law. It will consider both the claim that political parody deserves robust protection in democratic debate and the countervailing view that trademark owners, like IKEA, may legitimately seek to prevent reputational harm and unwanted political associations. With the CJEU hearing held in June 2025 and the Advocate General’s Opinion due on 13 November 2025, the timing is ideal to explore the freedom-of-expression factors—rooted in European Court of Human Rights case law—that are likely to shape both the Advocate General’s and, ultimately, the Court’s proportionality analysis and final resolution of the case.
Bio
Dr. Elena Izyumenko is an Assistant Professor in Intellectual Property (IP) Law at the University of Amsterdam’s Institute for Information Law (IViR). In her previous role, Elena worked as a case-processing lawyer at the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR, Council of Europe) and as a researcher at the Strasbourg University Centre for International Intellectual Property Studies (CEIPI). Elena’s research focuses on EU copyright and trademark laws, with particular attention to their implications for the public interest and for human and fundamental rights. Her current work explores topics such as environmental sustainability in IP protection; creator remuneration from streaming; gender biases in IP law; behavioural advertising and consumer empowerment; freedom of expression within EU copyright and trademark regimes; and the judicial interpretation of IP by the ECtHR and the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). Elena holds an award-winning Ph.D. in Intellectual Property Law from the University of Strasbourg and an LL.M. in International Human Rights Law and Intellectual Property Rights Law from Lund University in Sweden. Elena has lectured at top-tier research institutions in France, Sweden, Spain, Russia, and the Netherlands, and she has an extensive publication record in leading intellectual property law journals, including the Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice, International Review of Intellectual Property and Competition Law, American University International Law Review, European Intellectual Property Review, the Journal of World Intellectual Property, and GRUR International. Her research has received several awards from the International Association for the Advancement of Teaching and Research in Intellectual Property (ATRIP) and has been cited by the CJEU Advocates General. Additionally, Elena is a Certified Tutor for the Council of Europe Programme for Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals and a Senior Member of the Netherlands Network for Human Rights Research.
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