February 2008
Mr Loophole: the nickname that became a trade mark
Nick Freeman, a solicitor who built up a reputation for successfully defending individuals such as Alex Ferguson, David Beckham and Jeremy Clarkson in relation to various motoring offence charges has now successfully registered the trade mark “Mr Loophole”.
Such was his prestigious success-rate in being able to defend his celebrity clients that the press gave Mr Freeman the nickname.
Mr Freeman’s registration of this name as a trade mark will enable him to make exclusive use of this name in relation to the provision of his legal services.
Briffa’s comment
Like any other registered trade mark, provided that the name you wish to register is distinctive enough to distinguish your services from another’s, regardless of how this name came about, you may be permitted to register it as a brand.
The benefits of the registration to Mr Freeman’s business are two-fold. Mr Freeman will now be in a good position to prevent other legal practitioners from using the name in connection with their services. In addition, he may very well be successful in attracting new clients, who whilst they may not remember the name Nick Freeman, will no doubt be very quick to remember ‘Mr Loophole’ the next time they are involved in a traffic offence.