2012 Down Under – a sample of interesting cases for brand owners - WTR Issue 43

Parallel imports, overseas brands and the registrability of building names came under scrutiny from the Australian courts last year. As some of these cases demonstrate, the application of even long-established trademark protection principles can evolve View PDF

Collateralising your trademark rights - WTR Issue 42

The use of brands and trademarks as collateral is becoming increasingly common. However, issues such as publicising deals, valuing trademark portfolios and the portability of trademarks remain far from cut and dried View PDF

When reputation founders: protecting corporate reputation in a volatile environment - WTR Issue 40

While reputation and brand may appear to be synonymous, the nuances have implications for trademark and IP counsel seeking to protect clients’ interests – particularly when reacting to crises and quantifying the impact of competitive incursions on a brand View PDF

The private label predicament - WTR Issue 39

The surge in popularity of own-brand products has been matched by improvements in their packaging, leaving brand owners increasingly concerned about the risk of lookalikes. WTR examines how the marketplace is evolving and the future challenges for brand owners View PDF

Protecting your brand in the social media environment - WTR Issue 39

Global trademark practitioners offer practical guidance on the creation and execution of a resilient social media strategy View PDF

A question of character – best practice in managing mascots - WTR Issue 37

Mascots offer a unique opportunity to create a brand personality. They also require a close relationship with the marketing department, as well as a careful approach to trademark law View PDF

Trademark Toolkit: enforcement and reputation - WTR Issue 35

Industry experts give practical advice on how to approach enforcement in a way that minimises public criticism or accusations of bullying View PDF

Ramping up trademark protection at the Olympics - WTR Issue 33

WTR considers the hot trademark issues arising from next year’s Olympics, with input from industry, officials and even the organising committee’s brand protection lawyer herself View PDF

Industry Awards 2011 - WTR Issue 31

The WTR Industry Awards 2011, which will be presented at a ceremony in San Francisco timed to coincide with the 133rd INTA annual meeting, honour leading trademark teams and individuals across a range of business sectors. In this issue, we unveil the shortlist View PDF

Trademark protection in the new online frontier - WTR Issue 31

Global trademark practitioners – from industry, private practice and the trademark services sector – tackle the complex issue of trademark protection strategies in the new gTLD online environment View PDF

The brand valuation minefield – avoiding the most common mistakes - WTR Issue 30

For those seeking to value their brands, the industry offers a confusing array of methodologies. Take a wrong turn and the results can be significantly skewed View PDF

The trademark triangle: the tension between owners, firms and service providers - WTR Issue 29

Thanks to elaborate brand-building strategies, the trademark service provider sector is booming. Some insiders even suggest that it now competes on an equal footing with the legal profession. WTR charts the evolution of this market and considers how its future may unfold View PDF

MARQUES: practical lessons from Berlin - WTR Issue 28

With summer holidays already a distant memory, almost 600 trademark counsel descended on Berlin for the MARQUES annual conference this September. WTR presents the highlights of the programme, starting with the debate over changes to Google’s AdWords policy View PDF

The 2010 World Cup - practical lessons in brand protection - WTR Issue 27

An analysis of the counterfeiting and ambush marketing challenges experienced in South Africa reveals some valuable lessons for brand owners and event organisers View PDF

Industry Awards 2010 - WTR Issue 26

On May 25 2010, WTR announced the winners of its fourth Industry Awards at an exclusive ceremony in Boston’s Harvard Club. The awards are designed to recognize the vital work carried out by in-house trademark counsel, and identify the teams and individuals that are performing their functions to the highest possible standards. Over the following pages we speak to the winners and explain why they were judged to be leading examples of industry best practice. View PDF

Industry Awards 2010 - WTR Issue 25

The WTR Industry Awards 2010, which will be presented at a ceremony in Boston timed to coincide with the 132nd INTA annual meeting, honour leading trademark teams and individuals across a range of business sectors. In this issue, we officially unveil the shortlist. View PDF

Preparing for the future pharmaceutical trademark regime - WTR Issue 24

While the outcome of the US FDA pilot programme on trademark approval is not due until 2011 at the earliest, the scheme offers important pointers for those considering the development of a pharmaceutical mark View PDF

2010: Madrid to expand into Latin America? - WTR Issue 23

After years of fierce debate and political procrastination, several important jurisdictions in Latin America seem poised to accede to the Madrid Protocol in 2010. WTR investigates the efforts to push through accession, and how brand owners and local agents are adapting their practices in preparation. View PDF

Sealing the deal - WTR Issue 22

The co operation fund has ignited an animated debate across the European Union. WTR asks whether the money can harmonize Europe’s fragmented trademark system once and for all View PDF

Assessing the overhaul at OHIM - WTR Issue 21

WTR’s exclusive survey of the CTM system explores the reaction from leading filing agents to the cut in fees and gauges OHIM’s performance over the past year View PDF

Industry Awards 2009 - WTR Issue 20

On May 19 2009 WTR announced the winners of its third Industry Awards at a ceremony in Seattle. The awards are designed to recognize the vital work done by in-house trademark counsel, and identify the teams and individuals that are performing their functions to the highest possible standards. The following pages feature profiles of the winners View PDF

Preparing for the storm - WTR Issue 19

WTR’s exclusive Global Trademark Survey is a groundbreaking attempt to calibrate the true impact of the financial crisis on trademark professionals worldwide. The results serve as a warning that today’s challenging market looks set to become even tougher View PDF

China’s dilution of the dilution doctrine - WTR Issue 18

While Chinese law does not specifically recognize dilution, new analysis of 100 of the most recent cases shows that some courts have been applying dilution principles. However, the Supreme Court’s latest guidelines indicate that China is a very long way from adopting the US approach to dilution View PDF

France in flux - WTR Issue 17

The French market for trademark services could be set for a radical overhaul in the very near future. Practitioners and brand owners await the developments with interest View PDF

Eastern promise - WTR Issue 16

Growing economic strength and a commitment to increased harmonization at the IP level make the ASEAN region an interesting proposition for rights holders. However, there are still many issues to resolve View PDF

Escaping the money trap - WTR Issue 15

OHIM has amassed well in excess of €300 million in surplus funds. The problem is, it was never supposed to make any money. A cut in fees was agreed over a year ago, but progress has since been slow. WTR asked a number of interested parties for their opinions on what should be done with the excess funds View PDF

Industry Awards 2008 - WTR Issue 14

On May 20 2008 World Trademark Review announced the winners of its second Industry Awards for in-house trademark counsel at a ceremony in Berlin. The awards are designed to recognize the vitally important work done by in-house trademark counsel, and identify the teams and individuals that are performing their functions to the highest possible standards. The following pages feature profiles of the winners View PDF

Italian market ready to face the opposition - WTR Issue 13

Bad reputations are hard to shake. Many still believe that Italy has ineffective enforcement and trademark registration systems, but the former is no longer true and the latter is set to change too View PDF

Carnival time for trademark practitioners and owners in Brazil - WTR Issue 12

The Trademark Office is tackling one of the world's worst examination backlogs and practitioners are worrying about the effects that the Madrid Protocol will have on their revenue streams. Yet the Brazilian trademark market still holds promise for all its stakeholders View PDF

Three is still the magic number - WTR Issue 11

The Benelux market is a microcosm of the CTM system: different countries united by a common trademark registration procedure. The union of Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands has clear benefits for mark owners since they can simultaneously protect their marks in three jurisdictions View PDF

Services market in Turkey flying high - WTR Issue 10

Turkey is shedding its image as a counterfeiting hub and is proving that it is a serious player in the IP rights arena. The rapid development of its legal services market highlights the progress made so far View PDF

OHIM: A work in progress - WTR Issue 09

Earlier this year OHIM published the results of its second user satisfaction survey. The findings show that while progress has been made, there is still some work to be done View PDF

Industry Awards 2007 - WTR Issue 08

On May 1 2007 World Trademark Review announced the winners of its inaugural Industry Awards, sponsored by Thomson CompuMark, for in-house trademark teams at a ceremony in Chicago. The awards are designed to recognize the vitally important work done by in-house trademark counsel, and identify the teams and individuals that are performing their functions to the highest possible standards. The following pages feature profiles of the winners View PDF

Gearing up to becoming an IP nation - WTR Issue 07

The Japanese government’s ambition to achieve economic growth through the development of intellectual property puts a lot of pressure on the country’s IP office View PDF

Dealing with the German boom - WTR Issue 06

The German Patent and Trademark Office faces a number of challenges, including a surge in applications and the need to tackle backlogs. But senior staff are confident they are up to the job View PDF

Why Mexico matters - WTR Issue 05

Mexico has a developing market for legal services in relation to trademarks, which has doubled over the past 10 years. Filings from foreign mark owners have been the mainstay of business for many of the big players, but the likely ratification of the Madrid Protocol and other changes may see a change of emphasis View PDF

Working like clockwork - WTR Issue 04

The Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property handles an awful lot with a staff of only 220 individuals. Besides the traditional functions of examination and registration of IP rights, the institute also elaborates Swiss IP policy and promotes Swiss IP interests at international level View PDF

Finding its feet: 10 years of OHIM practice - WTR Issue 03

Created out of a void, the pan-European system of trademark registrations run by OHIM has exceeded all expectations in the numbers of applications filed as well as in the way it has impacted on trademark owners’ protection strategies in Europe View PDF

The changing face of Aussie rules - WTR Issue 02

The economic downturns that affected Europe and the United States in the last decade have largely passed Australia by. This has been good news for the country’s trademark practitioners View PDF

The case for Canada - WTR Issue 01

Canada is a G8 country with a distinctive trademark system and a competitive market for legal services. Throw in a long, heavily populated border with the United States and you have a jurisdiction that few rights owners can afford to ignore. View PDF