Passing off – should it be relied on? The simple answer to that is no. It’s a law that relates to unregistered trade marks and exists to prevent someone ‘passing off’ their products or services as being yours. The word [...]
It’s true to say there is nothing from stopping you using your trade mark if it’s not registered. That’s why so many business owners don’t bother. But they’re missing the point of trade mark registration. Look at it this way. [...]
Intellectual property (IP) matters aren’t always the primary concern of charities. That’s not a criticism; it’s just the way it is. Charities are organisations set up to help society in some way. Usually run by people from non-executive backgrounds, brand [...]
Before getting into the nitty-gritty about what a trade mark attorney does, let's go back to basics: what exactly is a trade mark? Aside from your original business idea and your people, a trade mark is a vital company asset. [...]
Trade mark registration is one of a pile of expenses you’ll face when setting up your business. Premises, websites, logos and other marketing materials are at the top of your list. You hire a professional web designer (because that’s a [...]
Our guest blogger 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. He serves up another corker [...]
Trade mark registration can take a long time. A problem when, as consumers, we're used to immediacy, and we are frequently asked why it takes such a long time to get a trade mark registered. In truth, it doesn’t take [...]
