Katarzyna Sotyn | In Principle

In November we were feasting on St Martin’s croissants, and soon we will take out our Christmas place settings—perhaps from the ceramics manufacturers in Bolesławiec, Ćmielów or Chodzież. Currently only one of these famed Polish products—the poppyseed-filled rolls from Poznań—is covered by the EU’s system for protection of geographical indications. But will the portfolio of EU-protected Polish geographical indications soon expand greatly? This became possible at the beginning of December 2025.
 

A Portuguese company filed for trademark registration by the EUIPO of the word sign “Quevedo Port” for two products: olive oil and wine. Registration was opposed by an association of makers of Port wine, which is a protected denomination of origin. Nonetheless, the EUIPO properly registered the disputed mark. Why? 

So far, geographical indications have been primarily relevant to just a few countries, such as Italy and France. But recent changes at the EU level are opening up interesting prospects for Polish producers as well. Below we write more about what geographical indications are, how the protection system has recently changed, and who stands to benefit from these changes.

For years, film distributors have been fighting against illegal sharing of movies on the internet. The enforcement of rights before the courts is hampered in particular by the functioning of the platforms on which the films are posted, including the users’ relative anonymity. In a recent judgment, the Court of Justice of the European Union held that YouTube and Google are not obliged to turn over data to holders of IP rights allowing them to identify users who have infringed their rights. Which data? More below.