Blog Archive
- Posted by Jane Coyle on March 26, 2013 / Posted in Trade MarksCan I register my company name as a trade mark?Yes, it is possible for your company name to be registered as a trade mark subject to its being accepted by the UK IPO. However beware- just because your name is registered at Companies House- it doesn’t mean it will be accepted as a registered trademark. A trade mark is a sign which can distinguish your goods and services from those of your competitors so can be for example words, logos or a combination of both. Trade marks cannot be registered if they: Describe your goods or [...]Read more
- Posted by Jane Coyle on March 26, 2013 / Posted in Trade MarksConfused Deer? I’ll have a Babycham!Trademark infringement case. Those of us of a certain age are familiar with the iconic image of a baby antelope leaping with a ribbon around its neck known to thousands of drinkers as the logo of the Babycham sparkling perry drink. It is now the subject of a High Court case. The Companies: Western Wines Holdings Ltd and Accolade Wines Ltd who own the trademark have accused Cath Kidston of infringing its Intellectual Property. Cath Kidston’s company denies the accusation insisting that [...]Read more
- Posted by Jane Coyle on March 25, 2013 / Posted in Trade MarksTrademarks and slogansThe US company Under Armour Inc. wants to protect its “I will” catchphrase. The athletic clothing maker, based in Baltimore, US has filed a trademark infringement suit against Nike Inc., claiming its rival has inappropriately used variations of the phrase in its marketing. Under Armour says that since late last year, Nike has launched an advertising campaign using phrases like “I will protect my home court,” and “I will finish what I started.” Under Amour [...]Read more
- Posted by Jane Coyle on March 22, 2013 / Posted in Trade MarksTrade Mark LicensingA trade mark license is an agreement between two parties; the trade mark owner (the ‘licensor’) and a person who the trade mark owner grants permission to use their trade mark in commerce (the ‘licensee’). Typically, the license will be expressed in the form of a written contract which should outline the scope of the license. Within this contract there are certain aspects which should be included. These are: the trade mark; the licensor and the licensee; the trade mark [...]Read more
- Posted by Jane Coyle on March 21, 2013 / Posted in Trade MarksThe benefits of registering a trade mark – from a sports club’s perspectiveRegistering a sports name or logo in the UK is an area in UK trade mark law which has seen rapid development. Typically trade marks within sport come in the form of club names, nicknames and emblems and the growing phenomenon is one which helps protect the essence of marketing and merchandising alike. A trade mark is said to signify the brand and protect the origin, quality and advertising of that brand, however the functions of trade marks in sport boast little consumer benefit compared to the [...]Read more
- Posted by Jane Coyle on March 21, 2013 / Posted in Trade MarksBenefits of having a registered trademark – from a clothing label perspectiveYour trade mark can become an important means of building customer loyalty, maintaining goodwill and increasing profitability making it an extremely valuable marketing tool. When a customer is looking to make a purchase, it may be your trade mark which they are seeking and looking to identify with when they come to make this purchase. It is common knowledge the difficulties and hard work associated with building up a clothing label, so much so that it is crucial to prevent competitors from [...]Read more
- Posted by Jane Coyle on March 20, 2013 / Posted in Trade MarksCan a single letter function as a trademark?Single letter marks such as “a” or “z” are examples of a term called ‘nondescript marks’. Nondescript marks are letters or numbers (either alone or in combination with others) that lack distinctive character, an aspect required in order to let them function as trade marks. Therefore, article 3 from the Trade Mark Directive explains that trade marks which lack distinctive character or serve in the trade to designate the characteristics of the goods or [...]Read more
- Posted by Jane Coyle on March 19, 2013 / Posted in Trade MarksDomain names v Trade marksSimply registering a company name at Companies House or an internet domain name with a registrar (such as Nominet UK) does not give you automatic rights to have this same name accepted by the IPO as a trade mark. The previous registrations do not give you any exclusive right to use that name. Furthermore, it is possible for a domain name or company name registration to infringe someone else’s trade mark. There is no simple answer as to whether the registration of a domain name [...]Read more
- Posted by Jane Coyle on March 19, 2013 / Posted in Trade MarksThese brands will have a trademark. Do you?http://www.forbes.com/sites/barbarathau/2013/03/19/interbrand-reveals-the-best-retail-brands-of-2013-and-the-ones-losing-their-luster/ [...]Read more
- Posted by Jane Coyle on March 13, 2013 / Posted in Trade MarksThe best brands 2012 contained in this list will be protected by a registered trademark. Is yours?http://www.interbrand.com/en/best-global-brands/2012/Best-Global-Brands-2012.aspx Contact jane@trademarkroom for more information on costs on protecting your company’s most valuable asset. [...]Read more