What is a trademark attorney?
A trademark attorney is a professional who provides representation and advice in relation to trademarks. They can assist in protecting and exploiting your trademark and associated rights.
They have an in-depth knowledge of trade marks law, but they are also well grounded in other forms of intellectual property such as copyright, patents, designs, domain names, confidential information and trade practices. Matters that trademark attorneys routinely undertake are:
- applying for trademark registrations in Australia and overseas;
- trademark searches;
- providing advice in trademark disputes and infringement;
- trademark litigation;
- licensing and assignments of trademarks
In Australia, a trademark attorney is a distinct profession from that of a lawyer, and a trademark attorney need not have any other legal qualifications. A lawyer, on the other hand, may have only limited knowledge of specific trademark legislation and cases, preferring instead to brief a barrister or trademark attorney to handle the technical parts of the case.
As with lawyers, communications between a registered trademark attorney and their clients are privileged.