The thesis investigates the concept of trademark dilution under international and regional trademark law, and under the laws of selected jurisdictions; namely, the United States of America, Germany, the United Kingdom and the Republic of South Africa. The investigation includes measures undertaken to prohibit the internet-based dilution of famous marks through the registration of confusingly similar domain names. It is noted that dilution is imprecisely formulated under international trademark treaty law. In fact, the term "dilution" does not appear in international trademark treaties. To fill the gap of international trademark treaties, various policy initiatives, or `soft law' have been developed, which to some extent clarify both the concept of dilution, the type of mark protected from dilution, and the scope of such protection. The problem is that the policy initiatives are non-binding on States, so that different States have adopted different common law and statutory approaches to the protection of marks against dilution. This is demonstrated, for example, by the fact that the European Union and its Member States provide protection from dilution to "marks with a reputation", while the United States of America provides such protection only to "famous" marks, and the Republic of South Africa protects "marks which are well-known in the Republic" from dilution. The thesis analyses the protection granted in these jurisdictions, to determine the similarities and differences of approach, and to make appropriate law reform proposals to achieve uniformity of protection. In the final analysis, it is concluded that the burden of enforcing dilution provisions rest on the judiciary. This being so, the judiciary is urged to engage in a balancing exercise in deciding dilution cases. The courts should recognize that dilution provisions are powerful tools at the disposal of owners of trademarks with advertising value. At the same time, the courts should be steadfast in ensuring that protection from dilution does not stultify freedom of trade, or create absolute monopolies or a form of copyright in a trademark. / Jurisprudence / LL.D.

Dagens digitala och allt mer uppkopplade värld har en omfattande påverkan på bådemänniskor och organisationer. Ur ett marknadsperspektiv och uttryckt i dess vokabulär innebär detta att både kunder och företag påverkas. Det gäller såväl hur kunden efterfrågar, söker och hittar produkter som hur företagen tillfredsställer och levererar utefter kundernas behov. Detta gäller generellt i vår digitala värld och inte minst påverkas varumärken och varumärkesbyggande kraftigt. Ett område som utvecklats explosionsartat i sammanhanget är sociala medier. Studien syftar till att studera sociala medier som ett viktigt verktyg förvarumärkesbyggande inom företag och organisationer. Målet med studien är att ge företag och organisationer en ökad förståelse i byggandet av varumärken på sociala medier. För att möta syfte och besvara frågeställningen har en kvalitativ studie genomförts. Det empiriska materialet har samlats in genom sex stycken semistrukturerade intervjuer med personer som är verksamma inom varumärken och sociala medier. Studien har kommit fram till att det finnsstor potential för företag och organisationer att använda sig av sociala medier när de bygger varumärken. Ett lyckat varumärke gör det möjligt att bygga relationer med konsumenterna som med tid och ett lyckat varumärkesarbete leder till lojalitet. Varumärkesuppbyggnad är således en process som i de flesta fall behöver byggas upp över tid för att skapa ett så stort värde för både företaget och organisationen men också för konsumenterna. / Today's digital and increasingly connected world has a major impact on both people and organizations. From a market perspective and translated into its vocabulary, this means that both customers and companies are affected. It applies both to how the customer requests, searches and finds products and how companies meet and deliver customer needs. This is generally the case in our digital world, and not least, trademarks and branding are heavily affected. An area that has developed explosively in this context is social media. This study aims at studying social media as an important tool for branding within companies and organizations. The aim of the study is to give companies and organizations an increased understanding of the construction of trademarks using social media. In order to answer the purpose and question, a qualitative study has been conducted. The empirical material has been collected through six semi structured interviews with people active in the area of trademarks and social media. The study has come to the conclusion that there is great potential for companies and organizations to use social media when building brands. A successful brand makes it possible to build relationships with consumers and this leads to loyalty. Branding is a process that, in most cases, needs to be built over time in order to create the best value for companies and organisation, and also the consumers.

En el presente trabajo nos ocupamos de las personas jurídicas en relación a su derecho y a su deber de llevar un nombre. También nos ocupamos brevemente de los diversos signos distintivos, las marcas, las marcas colectivas, las marcas de certificación, los signos distintivos notorios, las marcas renombradas, los lemas comerciales, las indicaciones de procedencia, las denominaciones de origen y los nombres comerciales. Exponemos como son definidos y su función que es distinta a la función individualizadora de la denominación social y/o razón social. Teniendo en consideración el concepto y función de cada signo distintivo, cuando pueden entrar en conflicto con una denominación y/o razón social. Por último y como recomendación, sugerimos la modificación de la Ley General de Sociedades (1997). / Trabajo de investigación

This thesis analyses the effects of judgements of the Court of Justice of the European Union on a particular company represented by the French transnational corporation L'Oréal Group. In the first chapter I explain the system within which the protection of the intellectual property is realised. Firstly, I define the key concepts of the intellectual property, and then I introduce the means of the legal protection of the intellectual property on both national and international level. The analysis of the trademark law of the European Union follows in the second chapter where I examine its presence in both primary and secondary law, where I describe the roles of the Court of Justice of the European Union and the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market and where I introduce the most important judicature of the Court of Justice of the EU related to the trademark law. The third chapter is of the highest practical importance as it contains the discussion on the effects of judgements of the Court of Justice of the European Union on the L'Oréal Group in the form of a case study. Firstly I analyse the economic strategy of the group and I assess the importance of trademarks for L'Oréal, then I introduce the most important cases of the Court of Justice of the EU in which L'Oréal has been a party to the dispute. I conclude this chapter with the analysis of the effects of judgements of the Court of Justice of the EU on L'Oréal.

This research explores the international and national (such as Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, Tanzania and the OAPI region) standards of trademark law as well as the international rules promoting free flow of goods and how these two legal systems safeguard the consumers’ right to health. Focuses on the following two specific aspects of trademark law: counterfeiting which includes infringement, and licensing of a trademark in relation to consumers’ protection. / Thesis (LLM (Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Law University of Pretoria, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Masters of Law (LLM in Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa). Prepared under the supervision of Dr Atangcho N Akonumbo Senior Lecturer, Catholic University Yaounde, Cameroon. / http://www.chr.up.ac.za/ / Centre for Human Rights / LLM

1 Abstract Trademarks and their territorial limits The purpose of my thesis is to analyze the ways that are used for overcoming territorial limits of trademarks, to point out the pros and cons of these methods. Likewise, I'd like to point out the fact that the various systems of trademarks - national and international systems and system of Community trade mark are interconnected and they complete each other. Therefore, it is necessary to focus on the quality of national legislation, to match the European Union standards and international standards, as well. I chose this topic, because the issue of trademarks is in my opinion very interesting, I like the fact that they can connect designers and businessmen, I am fascinated by their overlap into the art sphere, too. The topic of marks is very broad and quite specific, for understandable reasons it cannot be given so much time within the subjects taught at the Faculty. Also this was one of the reasons I chose this topic. My work is divided into six major thematic units, together there are 25 chapters, some of them are further divided into subchapters and sections. In the first part, which corresponds to the first and the second chapter, I try to out the trademarks as an institution in a wider context of intellectual property rights and industrial property...

Little attention is paid to the civil remedies available when infringement of a trade mark or the right to goodwill occurs. Yet, for the owners of ~uch rights, these remedies are of much greater importance than theoretical considerations regarding the nature of the rights or what constitutes their infringement. This thesis analyses the civil remedies for trade mark infringement granted by the South African Trade Marks Act 194 of 1993. In the South African context, any consideration of civil remedies is rendered problematic by the attempted graft of English remedies onto a legal system with a different common-law background. It is, therefore, essential first to trace the English origin and application of these remedies, and then to determine whether each remedy is acceptable in terms of the South African common law. This is necessary, as our courts have previously rejected or adapted English remedies which were unknown to our common law but which Parliament introduced in legislation. The remedies of interdict (or injunction) in final and interlocutory form, compensatory damages, reasonable royalties, and delivery up are analysed from a substantive law and a procedural perspective. The procedural innovation of an inquiry as to damages is also considered. In respect of each remedy, (1) the English roots and development of the remedy are traced; (2) differences of approach in two other Commonwealth jurisdictions, Australia and Canada, are highlighted; (3) the development of the South African equivalent is detailed; and (4) suggestions for the future implementation of the remedy in South Africa are made. In the penultimate chapter, our common law and legislation (including the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa 108 of 1996 ) are measured against the requirements of the Agreement on Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). Recommendations for the effective utilization of each remedy in South Africa are then made. They include suggestions for legislative amendment in respect of delivery up and an inquiry as to damages, and the introduction of statutory damages as an further civil remedy. / Mercentile Law / LL. D. (Laws)

Disertacijoje nagrinėjamos aktualios problemos, kylančios komercinių žymenų (prekių ženklų, firmų vardų ir kitų komercinėje veikloje naudojamų žymenų, turinčių skiriamąjį požymį) teisinės apsaugos srityje. Disertacijos turinį sudaro keturi skyriai, iš kurių pirmasis nagrinėja komercinių žymenų teisinės apsaugos tikslus ir formas, o kiti – tam tikrą probleminę komercinių žymenų teisinės apsaugos sritį: firmų vardų sampratą ir teisinės apsaugos ribas; komercinių žymenų apsaugą pagal nesąžiningos konkurencijos teisę; reputaciją turinčių žymenų papildomą apsaugą; nagrinėjamų institutų tarpusavio kolizijas. Disertacijoje pateikiami argumentuoti autorės siūlymai dėl darbe nagrinėjamų komercinių žymenų teisinės apsaugos problemų sprendimo būdų. / This work examines the problems arising in the field of legal protection of trade marks, trade names and other distinctive signs under Lithuanian law. The work is comprised of four separate chapters. The first chapter analysis the purpose and forms of protection of distinctive signs; the each of the remaining chapters examines the particular problems relating to different aspects of legal regulation of distinctive signs: the concept and the scope of protection of trade names; protection of distinctive signs according to unfair competition law; additional protection of distinctive signs having a reputation and conflicts between the different legal institutes in the area of protection of distinctive signs. The author of the work presents motivated suggestions regarding possible solutions to the legal problems identified in the rea of protection of distinctive signs.

Qu’est-ce qu’une entreprise citoyenne ? Comment se distingue-t-elle d’une entreprise classique ? Le droit as-t-il un rôle à jouer dans ce processus de distinction ? Qu’en est-il de l’éthique et de la RSE ? Une entreprise peut-elle prendre un engagement citoyen ? Est-il légitime qu’une entreprise citoyenne valorise ses engagements citoyens ? Par quels leviers ? Voici quelques-unes des questions abordées dans notre thèse. L’entreprise citoyenne est celle qui effectue des engagements citoyens. En dehors de toute règle obligatoire, elle agit de manière volontaire, non centrée sur son intérêt restreint et de court terme en direction de ses cocontractants ou de tiers (ses salariés, des organismes sans but lucratif), afin de les placer dans une meilleure situation que si elle n’était pas intervenue. Une telle entreprise doit pouvoir valoriser ses engagements citoyens avec l’aide du droit, auprès du public, de ses clients et investisseurs. Les possibilités de l’entreprise citoyenne sont vastes ! / What is a responsible company? How do such companies differ from standard companies? What role does law play in ascertaining whether a company is responsible or not? What about ethics and CSR? Can a company engage in responsible actions? Should a company seek to enhance and promote such responsible actions? How should such enhancement and promotion take place? These questions will be answered in our thesis which is a study under French law. A responsible company is one that engages in responsible actions. In the absence of any legal requirement, the responsible company will voluntarily act beyond its strict short-term interest to reach out to contracting parties as well as third parties (e.g. employees, suppliers and non-profit organisations) and place them in a better situation, had the company not taken any action. Law should enable such companies to promote their responsible actions and enhance their attractiveness with stakeholders

<p>Denna uppsats undersöker hur kvinnor och män i olika åldersgrupper förhåller sig till Flashapplikationer utifrån deras uppfattning om färg och form. Deltagarna som består av skolungdomar, nyexaminerade studenter och pensionärer har genom en enkät och en semistrukturerad intervjuform fått redogöra för sina intryck av Santa Marias, Eccos och Indiskas webbplatser. </p><p>Undersökningsdeltagarna identifierar Flashelementen genom deras rörelser. Deltagarna vill välja om de ska se animationer och andra applikationer skapade i Flash för att inte tappa koncentrationen från övrigt innehåll. Studenterna i undersökningen har en mer kritisk hållning till färgval, formgivning och användandet av Flash än övriga. Kvinnorna i undersökningen har en mer liberal hållning till färg och form än männen. </p> / <p>This essay explores how men and women in different age groups experiences Flashapplications, depending on their perception of colour and form. The participants, teenagers at a junior high school, students who just have finished their degree and senior citizens have by answering a form and by taking part in a semi structured interview been able to express their opinion of the following Scandinavian web pages: Santa Maria, Ecco and Indiska.</p><p>The participants identify the flash objects by their movements. The participants want to be able to choose weather or not to see the animations and other applications created in Flash, to avoid loosing focus on the other information the trademarks wants to express. The students have the most critical approach to colour, form and the use of Flash objects. The female participants have a more liberal approach to colour and form then the male participants. </p>