Watch face apps violate Swatch trademark rights, court rules
The Swiss Swatch Group has won another trademark dispute against South Korean technology giant Samsung.
Following a legal dispute in favour of Swatch a year ago, the British Court of Appeal has now also ruled in favour of the Biel-based watch manufacturer.
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Swatch announced on Friday afternoon that the Court of Appeal in London had dismissed Samsung’s appeal in its entirety in the dispute over internet trademark rights.
This confirms the decision made a year ago that certain watch face apps for Samsung smartwatches that can be downloaded from the Galaxy App Store infringe the rights of Swatch brands. The brands in question include Omega, Tissot, Longines and Swatch.
Samsung had offered digital watch faces for its smartwatches that resembled the Swiss group’s brands. This was categorised as illegal by the High Court of Justice in London a year ago.
According to the Court of Appeal, the fact that the apps had been developed by third-party companies did not change the guilty verdict.
“The Swatch Group is delighted with the judgement, which deals with a new form of trademark infringement in the digital age and the liability of online providers,” said co-head of legal affairs Mireille Koenig in the press release. The court’s decision “protects the exclusivity and value of Swatch’s iconic watch brands”.
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