Sky plc v SkyKick UK Ltd

Subject Matter

TRADE MARK — Infringement — Injunction — Claimants alleging infringement of EU and UK trade marks — Defendants found to have infringed some of claimants’ marks — Claimants applying for injunction to restrain defendants’ continued infringement — Parts of some of claimants’ trade mark registration applications filed in bad faith — Defendants opposing injunction as sanction for claimants’ actions and as deterrent to others — Whether “special reason” to justify refusal of injunction — Whether disproportionate to grant injunction — Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, art 130(1)

[2020] EWHC 1735 (Ch); [2020] WLR(D) 424, Ch D

TRADE MARK — Registration — Bad faith

[2021] EWCA Civ 1121, CA

TRADE MARK — Validity — Bad faith — Trade marks registered for wide range of goods and services — Applications allegedly made without intention to use marks in relation to some goods and services included in specifications — Whether absence of intention constituting bad faith — Wether permissible to infer bad faith from width and size of specification — Whether trade marks invalid — Trade Marks Act 1994 (c 26), s 3(6) — Parliament and Council Regulation (EU) 2017/1001, art 59(1)

[2024] UKSC 36; [2025] Bus LR 251; [2025] 2 All ER 1, SC(E)

TRADE MARK — Infringement — Specification of goods and services — Goods or services defined using unclear, imprecise or ambiguous terms — Proper approach to determining extent of terms

[2024] UKSC 36; [2025] Bus LR 251; [2025] 2 All ER 1, SC(E)

TRADE MARK — European Union trade mark — Pending proceedings — EU trade mark Infringement and invalidity proceedings pending on date of United Kingdom’s withdrawal from European Union — Whether UK courts retaining status as EU trade mark courts — Whether jurisdiction in relation to pending proceedings encompassing validity and infringement in member states — Trade Marks Act 1994, Sch 2A, para 20 — Trade Marks (Amendment etc) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (SI 2019/269), Sch 5, para 7(2) — Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, art 67 — Parliament and Council Regulation (EU) No 2017/1001, arts 122–135

[2024] UKSC 36; [2025] Bus LR 251; [2025] 2 All ER 1, SC(E)

Appellate History

Commentary

RPC Perspectives
Sky Kick Back! High Court finding of bad faith overturned by Court of Appeal in long-running Sky v Skykick saga Case comment

Law Society Gazette
In depth: Supreme Court's Sky ruling sends 'shockwaves' through IP sector Case comment

UK-EU Relations Law
EU law leaves a mark Case comment