Brand Protection

November 13, 2014

Trademark Registrations are Vulnerable to Attack

Think that having a trademark registration makes it impenetrable to attack? Think again. A trademark registration will be vulnerable to attack if it is not being used properly. In these cases, simply renewing a trademark each 10 years will not provide indefinite protection on its own. There must be use of the mark in the [...]

September 14, 2014

Starting Out in Business – Trademarks and Business Names – Help!

So you’re thinking of starting up a new business, and you’ve brainstormed and picked a name that you like. What next? We’ve noticed recently that people are a bit confused as to what they should do at this point, and getting it wrong can cause you headaches, and even be costly, so here's what you [...]

August 6, 2014

Protecting Trademarks in China

The year of the horse could usher in better opportunities to protect brand integrity with a new trademark law China introduced in May. As Australia’s largest trading partner, there’s no doubting the importance of the People’s Republic of China to the Australian economy. Yet despite long-standing relations between Australia and China, and a renewed eagerness [...]

June 26, 2014

Superman Wins in Fight with Melbourne Gym

Have you ever wondered if you might have picked a brand name that’s a little too close to someone else’s mark? Or have you seen someone else manage to get a trademark registered that’s a little too close for comfort to your registered mark? If there’s infringement, trademark registrations can be challenged. A recent Federal [...]

September 24, 2013

“Attitude” – How a Humble Trademark Became Worth Millions

I recently had the opportunity of speaking to Justin Herald, a leading Australian entrepreneur. He is famous for, among other things, starting the clothing brand Attitude Gear with just $50 when he was just 25 years old, and growing it within 6 years to a multi- million dollar business. I spoke to him about his [...]

January 18, 2013

Who is responsible when a brand you have created lands your client in hot water?

I am often approached by designers and people involved in branding with issues relating to who is responsible if something goes wrong with a design/brand they have created or worked on. Unfortunately this type of issue is likely to come up at some stage in your career – and it can be quite unpleasant when [...]