'Animal Farm' and '1984' EU trademark refusals raise doubt over famous works
By Inbar Preiss ( June 11, 2026, 14:53 GMT | Comment) -- Refusals of EU trademarks for two George Orwell book titles could lead to a test for the EU Intellectual Property Office’s view that cultural fame can defeat trademark protection. The decision by the institution's top appeal officials follows an earlier refusal to trademark the name “George Orwell," and it raises questions over descriptiveness, appeal prospects and a possible divide with US trademark practice.A refusal to register famous George Orwell book titles "Animal Farm" and "1984" as trademarks in the EU has become a test of whether cultural fame can make literary signs too descriptive to function as trademarks....
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