Expert resources and industry insights designed to keep you at the forefront of brand protection.
A Swedish company filed an EU trademark in 2023, sells across Europe and has just signed a distributor in London. Packaging is being approved and marketing has a launch date. Then someone asks: does our EU trademark cover the UK?
Jesiah Johansson
A company can spend years making a colour, sound, package or digital animation recognisable, then discover that nobody considered whether the asset could be protected.
Simon Fouladi
Most businesses need a combination of rights. Start by identifying what competitors could copy, block, disclose, or force you to change; confirm ownership; and address time-sensitive patent or design filings before launch. Because intellectual property rights are territorial, your strategy should reflect where you operate, manufacture, sell, and plan to expand.
Simon Fouladi
Apple appears to have filed IPHONE DUO first in Liechtenstein, then used the six-month Paris Convention priority period to expand its protection around the public launch. A lower-visibility first filing can delay a brand leak, but it does not create worldwide rights or guarantee secrecy. The strategy works only when the owner, trademark scope, clearance work and later filing deadlines are planned carefully. The practical lesson is to coordinate trademark filings with the wider launch timetable rather than copy a particular jurisdiction by default.
Simon Fouladi
You find a competitor using a name that looks uncomfortably close to yours. Or your business receives a letter claiming that its new name, logo, domain, advertisement, or product listing infringes an earlier trademark. Trademark infringement can occur when a business commercially uses an identical or similar sign without permission in a way that conflicts with an earlier trademark. The central question is often whether customers are likely to believe the businesses are connected. Trademarks with a reputation may receive broader protection even where confusion is not established.
Simon Fouladi
The New China Trademark Law takes effect on 1 January 2027. It shortens the opposition period, strengthens rules against bad-faith filings, increases scrutiny of unused marks and changes infringement exposure. Brand owners should review their Chinese trademark portfolios before the law takes effect.
Valerie Suen
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