Recent Black Lives Matter demonstrations have raised the question of whether it is possible to protect social movements’ names or logos with trademarks and try to profit off of them. Another question is, should you? When Derek Chauvin put his knee on the neck of...
General
Trademarks are forever
Most intellectual property rights, like patents, designs and copyright are temporally limited. Trademarks, however, can exist without any time limitations. In fact, many of today's famous trademarks have been registered already more than a hundred years ago. These...
7 things US companies should know about EU trademarks
Trademark substance and processes are very similar in every country. The basics don't change very much. However, there are many differences between the systems that applicant's should know. Here are seven important and practical things a US company should know about...
Cancelled BIG MAC trademark – where’s the beef?
EUIPO's cancellation division decided last week that McDonald's EU trademark was revoked due to non-use. According to trademark law, if a registered trademark is not used for five years, it can be cancelled for non-use. The reason for this rule is to make sure...
What is an “international trademark”
The basic concept The basic concept is relatively simple. A trademark applicant submits a request for international registration of his trademark to World Intetellectual Property Organization, known as WIPO. WIPO will then forward that single application to all those...
Companies that protect trademarks early on experience higher growth
When Coca-Cola filed their first trademark application on 14 May 1892, they had just barely been incorporated as a company. Fast forward a century and they are one of the world’s most famous brands. According to a new study published by the United States Patent and...
4 common objections to filing a trademark application
Many companies think that registering a trademark is not important. Here are four reasons we hear the most. Reason 1 - We’re too small and it’s too early. Many companies think that trademarks are relevant when the brand is already big and valuable, or that since they...
Essential Trademark Glossary – most important trademark terms explained
Trademark terms can be difficult to understand. Here are about 40 most important terms explained in a simple non-legal manner. Absolute grounds for refusal A trademark must fulfil some basic “absolute” criteria to be accepted. The first is that it contains something...
How much does EU trademark cost in comparison to other things? Find out here.
Too many companies decide not to protect their trademarks because of cost reasons. Here are some calculations and comparisons how much an EU trademark costs. The calculations are based on the registration covering 3 trademark classes (government fee 1050 EUR) and...