1.
Trade marks. All you need to know.
Your Trade mark is Valuable- Protect it now.
Your trade mark is valuable and becomes more valuable over time
the more you use it. Some trade marks go on to be worth millions.
The value of your names and brands can only be "locked
in" by actually protecting them by trademark registration.
Domain name and company name registration not enough.
Legal
exclusivity is only obtained by trade mark registration. If
you do not protect you trade marks someone else will. Act
now or you will lose the opportunity to capitalise on the
power of your own name.
Your
name may already belong to someone else without you knowing
it. They may have registered it already and you may be building
up goodwill in a name you do not even own. The value of your
brand can be hijacked in this way if you have not protected
it and someone else decides to register it first.
Trademark
Registration
If you are using a name in business you can only properly
to protect it by registering it as a trade mark. This will
give you the exclusive right to use the name and to stop others
from using it for similar business. If they do you will be
able to stop them by legal proceedings and they will be liable
to pay you damages by way of compensation. Trade Mark registration
is different from company name registration at Companies House
or domain name registration. Neither of these secure the exclusive
right to use the name.
Infringement
You also need to make sure that you do not use a brand name
that has been registered as a trademark by someone else. If
you do, you can be sued in court for damages and may be required
to pay compensation.
Many
new businesses or new products are launched onto the market
without carrying out any trade mark checks often with disastrous
consequences. The last thing you want after you have spent
your launch costs is to be faced with a court order to stop
using the name, deliver up all of your infringing product
and have to bear all the costs of a re-brand.
Whatever
you trade mark question or concern please contact us for a
free legal consultation
and we will be pleased to provide you with some free guidance.
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