Developing a new business, making it commercially viable, taking it to market, forging strong customer relationships and establishing a reputation is tough and the road to success is paved with plenty of failures. There’s no denying that getting a start-up off the ground takes considerable time, effort and usually money.  Given what it takes to […]

There’s a common misconception that once a trade mark has been registered, the onus is on the regulatory bodies to monitor the marketplace for any potential infringements and signal any applications for a similar trade mark. The fact is, the owners of the registered trade mark hold that responsibility and their asset will not be […]

The hashtag has become an instantly recognisable symbol for organising, categorising and discovering digital content that relates to a specific topic. First introduced in 2007, hashtags are now an integral part of the internet lexicon and are widely used on a variety of platforms including Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Google+ and Tumblr.    When a user […]

While it is unusual for a trade mark owner to receive a request for their trade mark to be used by someone else, it does happen.  This article offers some advice on what you should and shouldn’t do if you’re approached by a third party. Let’s first take a step back and examine what it […]

A distinctive logo is often a pivotal element of any successful brand strategy and savvy business operators will guard and protect this valuable asset by registering it as a trade mark. However, holding onto market share and competing for customers’ attention in the crowded and competitive business space means marketers have to be on their […]