Blog & News

Help, I’ve Just Received A Cease And Desist Letter!

As intellectual property experts, we spend much of our time sending or responding to cease and desist letters. These letters are the first step in intellectual property (IP) claims and…

How to protect a TV format

Game show formats and reality TV shows like Love Island and Big Brother have been extremely popular not only in the UK, but also internationally. Format rights are therefore important…

Help! I’ve received a Notice of Threatened Opposition, what do I do now?

Well, let’s start by explaining what a Notice of Threatened Opposition actually is… essentially it’s a form (called a TM7A if you’re interested) that potential opponents of a trade mark…

The Complete Guide to Design Rights

What Are Design Rights? Design rights can protect the shape, configuration or appearance of the whole or part of a product. In the UK, the two main design rights which…

Do I need terms and conditions for my online business?

In recent years, with an especially prominent surge during and following the pandemic, the internet has become an increasingly popular platform for businesses to sell their goods and services. With…

Tony Hawk, what’s in a name?

I was never great at skateboarding, either in real life or on a PlayStation 1. But when you think of skateboarding the one name that springs to mind is Tony…

Understanding Essential Terms and Policies

Starting a new business can be exciting, but it can also be overwhelming. There are various different terms and policies that you may need to ensure your business is compliant…

What are the requirements for changing ownership of a trade mark?

As I recently explained, a trade mark is a registered intellectual property right which provides the mark owner with a monopoly right over the registered mark in the goods or…

What does a colour variation mean for your trade mark?

A trade mark is a sign used to distinguish the goods and services of one undertaking from those of another. In other words, a trade mark enables consumers to identify…

Toblerone moves mountains in Switzerland

Toblerone is an IP practitioner’s dream product. It has it all. The iconic name and logo are protected as trade marks, the design and layout of the packaging is protected…

How To Respond To A Copyright Infringement Notice

Receiving a notification claiming that you have infringed someone’s copyright can be nerve-racking. It’s likely that this notification includes: An obligation on you to take down, or remove from sale,…

Art Exhibitions & Copyright

You’re planning to showcase your favourite paintings in a public exhibition. You’ve selected the art, booked the venue and announced the show but what can you legally do with the…

Blanks fired!

The battle of the blanks has started in London pitting a family-run vegan café in Brixton (Blank Coffee) against a big US coffee chain looking to expand in London to…

Common Intellectual Property considerations for start-ups

A few weeks ago I sat down with the founder and CEO of Pleese (formally Pleesecakes). Pleese make specialist cheesecakes and other exciting products, including revolutionizing the frozen desert market…

40 Shades of Green – Can a Colour be Trade Marked?

With this being the middle of March, there’s a tsunami of shamrocks, Guinness, pots of gold and green beer coming down the tracks on social and traditional (overseas) media in…

Don’t leave it until The Day Before launch! Video Game Trade Marks

Rumours have been circulating around the legitimacy of upcoming open world survival horror game “The Day Before” – speculation around whether the game exists or not seems to be fuelled…

My dissolved company owns my trade mark, what can I do?

A limited company is a separate legal entity and therefore can be the proprietor of a intellectual property rights, meaning it can license it to third parties, assign it to…

Bitcoin bulletin

Following from our recent blog, Bitcoin remains a hot topic. In a recent case, Wright and others v. BTC Core and others [2023] EWHC 222 (Ch) has just ruled on whether…

How do I choose a strong brand name?

Unhelpfully, trade mark lawyers and brand advisers often give conflicting answers to this question. The latter will often say that a brand name should speak to the consumer and easily/immediately…

Can you trade mark a sound?

It can be very powerful for a company to have a sound that is synonymous with its brand. Without anything being said, a consumer can hear a few notes or…

How to choose a trade mark that is right for you

Are you looking to create a new brand, but not sure how to choose the right trade mark? Choosing a trade mark for your business, product or service can be…

Copyright and greetings cards, what do I need to know?

If you’re lucky enough to work in the vibrant greetings card industry, then I would assume you have come across copyright before. However, before we get anything copywrong, it might…

What a load of Rollocks!

Most people have a thing that they are just into, whether it’s bags (like my wife), shoes, trading cards, comics, any manner of collectables really. If you’re anything like me,…

Move over GDPR, the DSA is the next big thing to come out of Europe

When the GDPR came into force about five years ago, it made headlines because it was a mammoth piece of EU legislation introducing significant changes to data protection law throughout…

Which company should bring a claim for defamation?

Background Two UK entities in the Dyson group of companies (Dyson Technology and Dyson Ltd) along with Dyson’s founder, Sir James Dyson, brought a libel (defamation) claim against Channel 4…

Help, Someone Is Using My Trade Mark

A registered trade mark gives you a monopoly right to use your mark for the goods and services that you have registered the trade mark for. Your brand is important…

Raye, Record Deals & Release Clauses

This month Raye earned her first UK number one, independently and without the help of a record label. An incredible feat for an independent artist. However, Raye was not always…