This blog reports about recent visits to all departments and support groups. It also contains some highlights of the last few weeks.

EU agencies are now at the forefront of policy implementation in EU’s migration, asylum and external border control policies for two primary reasons: to overcome the policy implementation gap and enhance interstate solidarity.

It was an inspiring morning on an early December day at Maastricht’s industrial-charm Eiffel-building. A spacious and pleasant environment, framed with an engaging meeting format, invited the participants to find collaborators, promote their initiatives or simply brainstorm ideas about community and cooperation in the Euregion Maas-Rhine.

On February 1^st, the UK has left the EU. This (has had or) will inevitably have an impact on unitary IP rights at EU level. Unitary IP rights such as the Community Plant Variety Right will no longer be valid after the transition period in the UK. What does this mean for holders of a Community Plant Variety Right (CPVR)?

The Court of the European Union (CJEU), in case T-683/19 (European Union Court, Seventh Section, judgment of 12 December 2019) confirmed the decision by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO): a trade mark for a sign that makes an explicit reference to marijuana ought to be rejected on the grounds of public policy.

Is the design of a pair of jeans a matter of industrial property under design law, or should it also be considered as a ‘work of artistic creation’ under copyright? 

The protection of ‘offensive’, ‘scandalous’ and ‘immoral’ trademarks has been a subject of hot debate time and time again. To say that opinions on the matter are divided would be a great understatement. The US Supreme Court took a stance in its recent judgment on the protection of an ‘immoral’ trademark for a clothing line. What happened? How would this case have been reasoned at the European Union’s Office of Intellectual Property (EUIPO)?

On the 4th of December, the Faculty of Law hosted a roundtable discussion on the upcoming EU Copyright Directive (2019/790) with viewpoints from students, the Commission, and Academics. The discussion focused on controversial  provisions of this contested legislation.

Macau, an island constituting one of the "Special Administrative Regions" of the People's Republic of China, has a unique patent system, which is notoriously advantageous for applicants. What is the benefit exactly and who benefits?

The European Environmental Agency (EEA) has recently published its latest ‘State of the Environment’ report (SOER 2020). Published every 5 years as part of the tasks of EEA’s mandate, the report contains a comprehensive assessment on the state of, trends in, and prospects for the protection of the environment in the EU.