As a specialist trade mark lawyer I enjoy helping charities and socially responsible businesses protect and enforce their brands.
Brand is often a key asset of an organisation, and in the case of charities the trustees are obliged to ensure it is suitably protected. In addition to checking that names and logos are free to use, I regularly assist with registration of trade marks in the UK and abroad, and frequently advise on disputes where another party may be infringing those rights or sailing a bit too close to the wind.
I also advise on other Intellectual Property rights such as copyright, designs and patents, as well as the overlap with company names and dealing with Companies House. Licensing agreements, framework agreements, resource sharing agreements, transfers, due diligence in investments or acquisitions, and employment or secondment agreements are often part of the picture. A background in Chemical Engineering and a love of languages are particularly helpful when dealing with technological sectors and matters abroad.
- Trade mark infringement settlement for a membership body A commercial entity was selling items branded with marks similar to our client’s, taking advantage of our client’s well-known reputation within the sector. We negotiated a favourable settlement agreement, thereby avoiding costly court proceedings.
- IP audit and protection strategy for a well-known charity We conducted a full IP audit for a household-name charity. This encompassed reviewing the scope of its existing trade mark protection, website notices, brand pack and its many and varied licence agreements. As part of the resulting brand protection strategy we revised the wording of licences and notices, filed several new trade mark applications in the UK and abroad and put in place brand monitoring services.
- Commercial and legal aspects of a financial service provider rebrand A financial services provider needed UK and international trade mark searches for a shortlist of six names for a major rebrand, all within a very tight timeframe. We advised on both the legal aspects and the commercial considerations, including names, logos, website colour palette, and domain names.