China is now the second largest economy on the planet, and has become a key market for businesses worldwide. So, securing ownership of your brand in China should be an important part of your plans. While the Chinese system of...

Updated note (2025): This post was originally written in 2013 and has been updated to reflect the significant changes brought about by Brexit. Since 1 January 2021, UK and EU trademark protection are entirely separate. An EUTM...

Nowadays many businesses are global from day one.

Even though you may just operate out of a bedroom in your home, when you sell online, you are potentially doing business in every country worldwide. That’s because the Intern...

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...

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...

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 note for UK brand o...

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.

A note for UK brand...

Trade marks are your “badge of origin”, and serve to identify your products and services.  Without trade marks, it would be impossible to find the products and services we like and to avoid those we don’t. So, trade marks are to...