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“It doesn't matter whether a cat is white or black, as long as it catches mice” - Deng Xiaoping

The digital world that we live in today has led to the wide availability and use of a mind-boggling amount of digital tools. These tools are used to communicate on the Internet, smart devices and through other technologies, enabling businesses to seamlessly extend their reach all…

The Vienna Agreement was concluded in Vienna in 1973 and amended in 1985. It establishes a classification (the Vienna Classification) for marks that consist of, or contain, figurative elements. It is administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

Did you know that works subject to copyright protection can theoretically also be used as trademark signs? In most countries artistic work, a title of a book, or even a character name, can be used as a trademark - unless it falls under the provision of “descriptiveness and distin…

Publicly traded companies spend on average 11% of their annual budget on marketing. The Gartner Research study which provided this figure states:

There have been some significant trademark disputes hitting the headlines in the last twelve months. In April 2019, lawyers for Erik Brunetti, owner of the popular brand FUCT, challenged the provisions of federal law that allows for “immoral or scandalous matter” to be refused tr…

Everyone loves a bargain. There is something very satisfying about saying “I got it for only (fill in the cheap price)” when someone compliments you on your sassy new shoes or bag. And with the trade in counterfeit goods valued at US$917 billion a year, it is understandable that …

In February 2019, USPTO issued a warning to attorneys to beware of any foreign solicitation which offers to pay to use their information to file trademarks. The statement read:

  Michael Jordan retired from basketball in 2003. That’s 16 years ago. However, thanks to the ‘Jordan’ brand operated by Nike, he still earns around $100 million a year. Football legend David Beckham left the sport in 2013, but somehow, I don’t think he is relying on a British go…

Outside of the branding processes undertaken by trademark professionals, there exists a fundamental fallacy - everyone seems to think that they understand trademarks. From startups choosing to go it alone with their applications to others decrying the need for trademarks at all, …