Blog Archive
- Posted by Jane Coyle on May 25, 2018 / Posted in Trade MarksUnusual trade marks such as smells have been much disputed in the UK and EU, with many of the latest attempts failing.Unusual trade marks such as smells have been much disputed in the UK and EU, with many of the latest attempts failing. However, it seems across the pond, they are not as against protecting a smell as a trade mark. The latest success is certainly something you would not expect. It is a smell that undoubtedly will take you right back to your childhood. Hasbro, the toy company, has successfully registered the smell of Play Doh as a trade mark at the US Patent and Trade Mark Office. Becoming [...]Read more
- Posted by Jane Coyle on May 25, 2018 / Posted in Trade MarksIn a world where anything goes, who are we to stop our four-legged friends enjoyed a few beverages after a long week.In a world where anything goes, who are we to stop our four-legged friends enjoyed a few beverages after a long week. With pets becoming part of the family more than ever, there is no limit to the products you can now buy. This includes the equivalent of your favourite tipple for your pooch. Pet drinks company, Woof and Brew, attempted to protect the term ‘Pawsecco’ as a trade mark in the UK for edible pet treats in 2017. However, this was short lived as the application was [...]Read more
- Posted by Jane Coyle on May 21, 2018 / Posted in Trade MarksIntercontinental Great Brands LLC, formerly known as Kraft foods has sued Dongguan Changshunli food Limited and Jiezhou Food limited for trade mark infringement of “Ritz” crackers.Intercontinental Great Brands LLC, formerly known as Kraft foods has sued Dongguan Changshunli food Limited and Jiezhou Food limited for trade mark infringement of “Ritz” crackers. The U.S company accused the Chinese companies of infringing upon the “Ritz” trademarks, which are registered in China, by selling Cookies under the brand name “Rize” with a very similar typeface. Ritz argued that the name and design of the packaging was very similar to its [...]Read more
- Posted by Jane Coyle on May 15, 2018 / Posted in Trade MarksThe trademark infringement battle between sportswear giant Adidas and footwear company Sketchers will hopefully be coming to a close next month.The trademark infringement battle between sportswear giant Adidas and footwear company Skechers will hopefully be coming to a close next month as the full trial is set to take place in Portland District Court division on June 4 th . Adidas filed the suit against Sketchers in 2015, claiming trade dress and trademark infringement on two of Skechers shoe designs. The trademark in question is the Adidas three stripe design in which almost all shoes produced by adidas have on the side. In the 2015 [...]Read more
- Posted by Jane Coyle on May 14, 2018 / Posted in Trade MarksIt seems being one of the world’s highest earning rappers does not give you any sway in the trade mark world as Dr Dre has been stumped by name sake gynaecologist.It seems being one of the world’s highest earning rappers does not give you any sway in the trade mark world as Dr Dre has been stumped by name sake gynaecologist. The case initially began in 2015, when US based gynaecologist Draion Burch filed a trade mark application in the US for the name ‘Dr Drai’ in respect of educational and entertainment services, as well as health care services. This was opposed by Dr Dre, the rapper, who claimed the application would cause confusion [...]Read more
- Posted by Jane Coyle on May 03, 2018 / Posted in Trade MarksClasses of goods and services are very important for your trade mark protectionWhen registering a trade mark, it is impossible to register your brand name for every type of goods and every service available. This would create a monopoly over that name and would ultimately prevent businesses from expanding and adapting. Therefore, when submitting your application, you must indicate which goods or which services you would like it to cover. All goods and services are categorised into classes, where like goods and like services are grouped together for ease of registration. [...]Read more
- Posted by Jane Coyle on May 03, 2018 / Posted in Trade MarksYou can have protection in your trade mark indefinitely, but only if you remember to renew!When you register a trade mark you have complete control over it and it creates a monopoly over that mark. However, this monopoly can only last 10 years unless the protection is renewed. If you renew your mark, you have the potential to maintain your protection indefinitely. To continue to enforce your trade mark rights, an application for renewal needs to be submitted to the UK Intellectual Property Office. The application can be made from 6 months prior to the expiration date, with a 3 [...]Read more
- Posted by Jane Coyle on May 03, 2018 / Posted in Trade MarksContinued reminder to be vigilant to fake invoices!There have been a number of announcements from the UK Intellectual Property Office in the recent months, warning of fake invoices that could be very costly. You need to be aware that not all correspondence you receive that appears to be legitimate is in fact that. A number of fake invoices have been received by trade mark owners claiming to be form the UK IPO stating that their trade mark is up for renewal and a substantial higher than normal fee needs to be paid. The fake invoices are seeming [...]Read more