A distinctive trade mark can be a business’s most valuable single asset, distinguishing its goods from those of other undertakings and guaranteeing to consumers the quality and source of the business’s goods/services, and, unlike other forms of Intellectual Property, trade mark registrations can last indefinitely.

Registration of a trade mark provides the proprietor with exclusive rights in the mark and a tool to protect the mark by preventing third parties using identical or similar signs in connection with the goods/services in respect of which it is registered. The owner can use their rights to prevent registration of conflicting trademarks and take legal action against those infringing those rights by copying or imitating its mark or using a confusingly similar sign, thereby benefiting from or damaging the reputation of the owner’s business.  Registration also minimizes the risk of infringing a third party’s rights.

It is possible to protect a trade mark throughout the European Union via a single registration and Internationally through a centralised prosecution process.

We can assist you in obtaining protection for your trade mark by:

• Advising on registrability
• Performing clearance searches and maintaining trade mark watches
• Devising the most appropriate filing strategy
• Filing and prosecuting your application through to registration in the UK and abroad

We can also ensure that the value of your mark is maximised by drafting licenses and assignments, assisting in the sale or acquisition of rights and advising and acting for you in contentious issues such as infringement, opposition, invalidity and revocation proceedings, domain & company name disputes, trading standards & customs seizures.

It is important to that a trade mark portfolio is kept up to date, as a business develops and new goods and/or services are introduced or new geographical markets become relevant.  We therefore maintain active contact with clients to ensure appropriate protection is always in place.