Author: Rachael
Choosing The Right Trade Mark Classes – Don’t Be A Trade Mark Troll
Picking the right trade mark class or classes for your product or service is critical. Get it wrong, and you will compromise the integrity of your most valuable asset. However, that doesn’t mean you should register it in umpteen classes ‘just to be on the safe side.’ Avoid becoming a Trade Mark Troll To ‘troll’ […]
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Professional Trade Mark Advice Is Worth Its Weight In Gold
Last month, we looked at what could potentially happen to your brand if you went down the DIY trade mark route. One error could lead to extra costs, time delays in achieving your trade mark registration, and even catastrophic damage to your brand.
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What is Trade Mark Revocation?
Registering your trade mark protects your business’s intellectual property. It stops other companies from using a similar mark without your permission. However, if you don’t use your registered trade mark within five years, it could be revoked. Use your trade mark or risk losing it Trade marks are commercial assets. Demand for certain marks can […]
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How Much Is Your Brand’s Reputation Worth?
When we talk about your brand reputation, we’re referring to your intellectual property, specifically its value. That’s why ‘how much is your brand’s reputation worth?’ is a question worth asking. Hopefully, it makes you stop and think about what you could lose if something when wrong. You might think your brand is untouchable; it’s your […]
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What Is The Company Names Tribunal?
The Company Names Tribunal (CNT) deals with: “Complaints about cases where a company name is registered for the primary purpose of preventing someone else with legitimate interest from registering it or demanding payment from them to release it.” (Source: gov.uk) Established on 1 October 2008, brand owners can now protect their trade marks from the registration […]
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Cactus of Peace: A Potted Plant or a Potty Decision?
Dr Stephen James writes again for Ward Trade Marks. Stephen is a past president of CITMA, and a leading practitioner with almost 40 years’ experience in UK and EU trade mark law. This time he reviews CJEU and General Court judgements on the CACTUS OF PEACE case which raises a prickly issue in more ways than […]
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How Do I Decide Which Classes To Register My Trade Mark In?
Deciding on which classes to register your trade mark in is not as easy as you might think. The current Trade Marks Act came into force on 31st October 1994. Since then, applicants have been able to file an application covering more than one class of goods/services. Commonly known as ‘multi-class applications’, they are a useful […]
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What’s The Difference Between TM and ®?
Registered and unregistered trade marks are represented by different symbols. But do you know whether you should be using TM or ®? An interesting question and one that you need to know the answer to if you are looking to protect the intellectual property rights of your company. Intellectual property (IP) refers to the valuable […]
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How To File An Opposition Against A Trade Mark
Before we tackle the big question of how to file an opposition against a trade mark, let’s look at why you would want to. In an earlier blog, we looked at what you should do if you receive a TM7A Notice of Threatened Opposition. But what if the boot was on the other foot? What […]
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What Should You Do If You Receive A TM7A Notice of Threatened Opposition?
A TM7A Notice of Threatened Opposition sounds scary, but the worst thing you can do if you get one is panic. This article tells you a bit more about TM7As, the process behind them, and what you can do if you receive one. Once a trade mark has been accepted by the Intellectual Property Office […]
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