WTR’s second annual non-legal trademark services
survey assesses industry needs and asks whether –
against a backdrop of squeezed budgets, growing
workloads and an increasingly complex trademark
environment – service providers are meeting the
needs of their clients
Guidelines governing the protection of geographical
indications (GIs) and protected designations of origin
(PDOs) are in a state of constant flux. For some
industries – such as the wine sector – the picture is
complicated further by additional requirements. The
interplay between GI, PDO and trademark protection
makes it critical to stay on top of the latest regulations
While the ITC can provide significant injunctive relief
to holders of registered trademarks whose trademarks
are infringed, it is not for everyone. The selection of
the right forum will depend on a number of factors
INTA’s Design Protection Conference featured a
number of important lessons for trademark counsel
– not least ensuring that the need for IP protection is
not overlooked by corporate designers
As Brazil, Russia, India, China and South
Africa (BRICS) continue their apparently
unstoppable economic march, demand is
increasing for the services of specialist
trademark lawyers with the expertise to
protect and enforce the intellectual
property of both domestic and
international companies
Although it was held in one of the world’s oldest
cities, this year’s MARQUES annual conference was all
about looking to the future, with sessions tackling
trademark protection in the new gTLD environment,
the development of trademark offices and how
geolocation technology will pose unprecedented
brand protection challenges
The prevailing view among trademark owners is that
counterfeiting must be tackled without compromise.
But some academics are suggesting that brand owners
may have got the wrong idea about fakes
29 pointers on how to effectively achieve
the transfer of trademark rights
Licensing deals can provide trademark owners with
a much-needed revenue stream – but equally, a lot
can go wrong. WTR asked a range of practitioners to
provide their top tips for successful licensing and to
outline key jurisdictional requirements
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
While China’s trademark system has significantly
helped the country’s economic development, changes
will be necessary if it is to continue to make a
significant contribution to the evolution of a
knowledge-based economy
For non-profit organisations, the redirection of surplus
revenues to achieve the organisational mission is
paramount, but equally important is an emphasis on
trademark protection. Failure to do so risks your
organisation falling foul of some of the problems that
have plagued others
