If your business has spent time and effort in developing its brand, trademark infringement could pose a significant threat to your organisation. It is, therefore, crucial to register your trademark to ensure optimal protection for your brand as well as the services and products that you offer. When your trademark is registered, you will be able to take any legal action required against a third party that uses your trademark without permission.
Trademark Registration and Passing Off
Registering your trademark involves sending the details of the trademark to the IPO (Intellectual Property Office) who will grant your trademark as long as no issues are found. You can then enjoy the full protection that a registered trademark can bring.
Without registering your trademark officially, you will have little protection in the event that another individual or business attempts to use it as their own. “Passing off” is the only way to prevent a competitor from using your trademark in such cases. This will require your logo or name to have already established a strong reputation as well as evidence that your brand has experienced damage due to your trademark’s use by the competitor. This can be very difficult to demonstrate.
Protection for Your Brand
Registering your business’s trademark as quickly as possible allows you to benefit from the legal protection that official registration offers. When a trademark is registered, you do not need to prove your brand’s good reputation or damage caused by the competitor. It is also far more cost-effective to register your trademark when compared with the cost of damage to your brand’s reputation due to the inferior products or services offered by a competitor under your logo, or the expense of taking a dispute to court.
For more information or for expert advice on business or personal legal issues, contact us at info@carterbond.co.uk or email us at www.carterbond.co.uk or call us on 020 3475 6751.
This content is not intended to be used as a substitute for specific legal advice or opinions. No recipients of content from this site should act or refrain from acting on the basis of content of the site without seeking appropriate legal advice.
