For the first time in Portugal, MARQUES organized a discussion meeting with the judges of the Portuguese Intellectual Property Court. The meeting was held on 6 December at the ‘Museu do Oriente’ in Lisbon and about 45 people attended, including IP lawyers and IP practitioners and participants from the Patent and Trademark Office and from industry. SGCR also participated in the meeting.

Two Portuguese IP judges took part: Judge Mrs Eleonora Maria Pereira de Almeida Viegas and Judge Mr Luis Manuel Chaves da Fonseca Ferrão. The judges took part in each of the meeting sessions followed by a general discussion. The interesting topics covered by the speakers and discussions were: (1) Principle of confusion – need for adjustment to the sophistication of the market; (2) Unfair competition – autonomy regarding private rights and judicial practice; and (3) Compensation claims arising from trade mark infringement and preliminary injunctions.