Benefits of a trademark in the United States
Trade marks are registered on a country-by-country basis. This means that you need to apply for trade mark protection in each country you seek to protect your trade mark. This takes money and effort. For this reason, it is usually better to focus on only those...
Protect your trade mark in the United States
There is no single worldwide trade mark registration. You will need to apply to each country in which you would like to have a registered trade mark. Even for large companies, this task can prove too cumbersome and expensive. Therefore, the pragmatic route is to...
Protect your trademark as a logo
Many trade marks have a descriptive element to them, most commonly being the words of the trade mark itself. However, during the examination by the government your trade mark will be examined as to whether it is too descriptive in relation to your goods or services,...
New Code for trade mark attorneys
The Professional Standards Board for Patent and Trade Marks Attorneys (the PSB), which is the government body charged with regulating our profession, has recently undertaken a major review of its Code of Conduct for attorneys. The new Code, which is to come into...
Business name is no defence to trade mark infingement
A common misconception is that registering a company or trademarking a business name name gives you a right to use it in any manner you desire. This is not the case. If your business or company name infringes on another party’s trade mark, then they can prevent you...
Benefits of filing your US and Australian trademarks together
Clients often instruct us to file their trademark in the United States, and because the fees are relatively low and a US trademark provides coverage over a huge market, the benefit of doing so is clear. The process we usually advise is to file for the Australian...
Difference between trademarks, copyright and patents
There is often confusion about the differences between trade marks, patents and copyright. This is no surprise as the law in this area is quite complex and very conceptual. This post provides a brief overview of the differences. But firstly, let’s start with the...