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Trade Marks identify and protect words and signs relating to goods and services provided by a business. In order to register words or a sign as a trade mark, there are various requirements which need to be satisfied. The Glanvilles Commercial team can advise you of these requirements and help you meet them.
We regularly act on behalf of clients with regard to the registration of trade marks in the UK and to registering those marks in the European Union, by way of a Community Trade Mark. We can also extend the protection of that registration to other countries if required.
We can also provide fierce legal representation in cases of trade mark infringement. We will work proactively to protect your brand and the integrity of your business, minimising the risk of damage to your reputation.
For specialist advice about trade marks, get in touch with our company & commercial law solicitors at your local Glanvilles branch in Chichester, Fareham, Havant or Petworth. You can also fill in our online enquiry form and a member of our team will be in touch shortly.
We have built our strong reputation on decades of experience, a high level of legal knowledge, and our dynamic understanding of commercial issues and opportunities.
Our company commercial law team includes Lance Terry, a Partner in our firm who specialises in trade marks, intellectual property and copyright, particularly within the IT industry. Lance has practised in the UK for nearly 20 years making him a highly experienced and dedicated addition to your business’s legal team.
Our team also includes Scott Richardson who can assist with trade mark registration both in the UK and overseas. Scott is based at our Chichester office where we are happy to offer business start-ups, entrepreneurs and other new businesses in the local area a consultation to discuss your trade mark and other commercial law needs. You can email Scott directly to set up your consultation by emailing scott.richardson@glanvilles.co.uk.
We can help you apply to register a trade mark in the UK. Registration is the is the best way to protect your brand and ensure no other individual or business can adopt it. If someone does use your trade mark without authorisation, registration gives you the right to legally pursue them and even claim damages where you have suffered loss as a result.
Your trade mark must be unique. Before making the application, we will search the trade marks database to ensure there are no identical or similar trade marks that could obstruct your own application.
We can also help you renew trade marks that are approaching their expiry date. You must renew your trade marks every 10 years, and we recommend that you contact us a few months before expiry to ensure it is renewed on time.
As well as UK trade marks, we can also help you protect your brand overseas by applying for trade marks in other countries. With increasing globalisation, it can be vital for businesses to look to overseas markets to grow their brands. If you already operate in various countries, it will definitely benefit you to trade mark your brand in those countries. It can also be worth obtaining trade marks in countries you plan to expand into, or in which you have organically grown a following.
The following are methods of obtaining overseas trade marks:
An EUTM provides you protection in all European Union Member States.
From January 2021, EUTMs will not protect trade marks in the UK. However, the Intellectual Property Office has plans to create a comparable trade mark for those with a EUTM (free of charge for existing EUTM holders). EUTMs will still continue to protect your brand in EU Member States. So, Brexit should not put you off from protecting your trade mark in Europe, although we can provide further advice if you have concerns.
You can apply for an International Trade Mark that provides a single mark for any countries that are members of the Madrid Protocol. This can protect you in up to 122 countries, including the United States and China.
You must base the application on an existing application in one of the member countries, including the UK. You can also base the application on an EUTM.
The downside of this method is that you can only protect one trade mark, whereas in the UK you can protect a series of marks.
Trade mark infringement is a serious issue. An individual or business infringing on your rights by adopting an identical or similar trade mark can severely undermine your brand, confuse your customers, and potentially damage your reputation.
We can help you pursue action against UK and international brands that have infringed on your trade mark to help you protect your business and its intellectual property. With us on your side, you have the best possible chance of achieving a positive outcome quickly and cost-effectively. A strongly worded letter from our forceful and persuasive legal team is usually all it takes to stop someone from misappropriating your trade mark and we can avoid court in the vast majority of cases.
For specialist advice about trade marks, get in touch with our company & commercial law solicitors at your local Glanvilles branch in Chichester, Fareham, Havant or Petworth. You can also fill in our online enquiry form and a member of our team will be in touch shortly.
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