With the eSports industry expected to hit a value of $1.5 billion this year, companies are scrambling to register trademarks to protect their brands. The recent INTA Europe Conference 2020 in Madrid was focused on the convergence of the sports and eSports industries. However, wit…
TikTok is a video-uploading mobile app that is going places. It is fast becoming one of the world’s most downloaded social media apps and so it is not too surprising that brands have recently started to pay attention. The demographic of its original core audience of Generation Z …
Non-traditional trademarks have become an increasing trend over the past 18 months. The need for brands to differentiate themselves from competitors has led to colors, jingles, sounds, and even smells to be registered as trademarks.
As we leave the last month of this turbulent decade, it is fascinating to look back at the most significant developments. Imagine going back in time to 2010 and telling someone that over the next ten years, their phone would run almost every aspect of their life (and consume most…
These days it seems like the holiday season is always upon us. Starting on the very first day of the year and ending on New Year’s Eve, we are spoiled for choice when it comes to celebrations! However, along with the lighter side of marking the moment with family and friends, the…
The idea of accessing a consumer society of 1.3 billion souls appeals highly to entrepreneurs the world over. However, finding success in the Chinese market is not for the faint-hearted. Not only are there language barriers, significant cultural differences, and business etiquett…
Brexit. Where do I start? This is the question I imagine is in the minds of most UK Cabinet Ministers as they flick their eyes open every morning, with the knowledge they are one day closer to D-Day – March 29, 2019. Whatever talk there is in the media of extensions and the like,…
The debate between which countries are ‘first to file’ and ‘first to use’ is partially a misnomer from the outset in the sense that the rights to all trademarks are dependent on use - ‘use it or lose it’ is a pertinent expression in this context.
In the trademark world, as indeed in life in general, everything is interconnected and small changes in one area can lead to knock on effects in another. The business world is global and for many companies, expanding their customer base across regions is a necessary goal for comm…
One of the most frequently asked questions by those newer to the trademark world is “How long will it take to get my trademark registered?” Frustratingly, as with so very many things in the legal world, the real answer is “It depends”. There are genuine reasons why this should be…
