Most importantly, nothing has changed as of now. All EU trademarks, including new applications, will include the United Kingdom until the end of the transitional period (which will run until 31 December 2020). At the end of the transitional period, all EU trademarks that have already been registered will be subject to national UK trademark […]
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Swedish activist Greta Thunberg has applied for an EU trademark for her name. It is common for celebrities to trademark their name. For example, Greta Garbo, Ed Sheeran and Lionel Messi are all registered trademarks in the EU. EU trademark GRETA THUNBERG covers, among other services, advertising, business management, business administration, financial, and insurance services. […]
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Trademark right means that the owner is entitled to prevent others from using the same or a similar trademark with respect to the same or similar products. The Coca-Cola Company, for example, could prevent another soft drink manufacturer from using the trademark Koka-Kola. The most fundamental function of a trademark is to be an indicator […]
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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 include Coca-Cola (1892) Quaker (1895) John Deere (1897) Maizena (1876) Guinness (1876) Kodak (1891) Tiffany & Co […]
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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 EU trademarks. 1. It’s all or nothing There are 28 countries (27 after Brexit) […]
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EUIPO’s cancellation division decided last week that McDonald’s EU trademark was revoked due to non-use.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 trademark registers are not clogged with trademarks that are not being […]
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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 countries that the applicant has “designated” in the request. So one application goes from WIPO to […]
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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 Trademark Office (USPTO), “firms that file in their first year […]
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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 have start started, it is not something that […]
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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 that can be registered as a trademark, i.e. a word, logo, slogan, sound, […]
Read more »Distinctiveness is very important. If your trademark is not sufficiently distinctive, it cannot be registered.
Check the distinctiveness of your trademark with a simple test.
