JK Rowling is now a successful writer with one of the most valuable brands. It’s taken her just 21 years to get there. Initially, when she sent her first manuscript to publishers, she was turned down by more than 12 of them b...

What are trademarks?

Trade marks identify your products and services so that customers may find the products and services they like and avoid those they didn’t enjoy. If consumers have had a good experience with a business, o...

While the Chinese system of trademark registration shares many common elements with the European regime there are subtle differences that present a trap for the unwary.

Even Donald Trump had a long standing battle with a Chines...

While SMEs are increasingly aware of the importance of intellectual property only a fraction of business owners are getting the right IP protection

That’s because IP is a complex subject, and business owners often don’t have a ...

Your product or service’s brand name is how you promote and advertise your business—and it’s what your customers use to recommend you.

Using a strong brand name, your business becomes better known and builds goodwill in its na...

Picking a name for your business isn’t always straightforward.

An obvious first step for entrepreneurs embarking on a naming project is to pick some names and do a search engine check to assess whether anyone else is using ...

There is a myth that securing IP protection is pointless if you lack the resources to litigate.

You’re actually much more likely to get into a dispute if you don’t register your rights than if you do. Owning registered IP righ...

The announcement in October 2017 by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) that the International Trade Mark system (usually referred to as the Madrid Protocol) has passed the 100 country-member mark is good news...

The first thing you need to do when you have an idea for a new product, service, or business is to find a name for it.

It’s well worth consulting an expert in trademarks to help you choose a name, and to establish whether yo...

A very recent decision of the EU General Court highlights the potential power of marks which enjoy a reputation even if the claimant in this particular case suffered a temporary setback before the Court.

A normal registered t...

A recent decision of the EU General Court highlights the potential dangers of adopting brands which mimic the “look and feel” of famous brands without using the same word mark or primary device feature.

In this case, Hasmi...