Protecting Your Brand Through IP Laws

“No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world.”

¾Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society

Businesses have moved online—just as all our daily activities such as shopping, research and socialising has switched to the Internet.

Whether you manage a personal website or one for your commercial brand, you need to protect it. It’s your intellectual property (IP) and so is everything that is put on the site.

This is why you must stay on top of the IP laws. You don’t want others to imitate or profit from it. Protecting your overall brand will need protecting the logo and other elements, in addition to your website.

Trademarks

It is applicable for any sign that is distinguishes a particular brand or business. It can be a logo, another type of design or a sound bite.

For instance, McDonald’s olden arch like ‘M’, Intel’s sound bite, and Google’s colourful logo are all trademarks.

Successful trademarks are those that immediately differentiate a brand or business. These often become the recognising features.

With clever marketing and promotional advertisements, companies have succeeded in making them memorable. Take for example, Nike’s tick mark or Twitter’s bird. These are recognisable, distinctive and highly memorable! If you too have a trademark, get it registered!

Design rights

You can also register design or appearance of your product(s) or part of it. It could consist of shape, lines, colours, materials or texture of the product.

To register such a design, first ensure that it is original and have an individualistic character. If the application is successful, you can protect your designs for 5 years initially. It is renewable for five year intervals, up to a total of 25 years.

How to exercise your rights?

Technically, your designs and trademarks are protected after being registered as your intellectual property. However, companies and individuals can still steal your idea. It is illegal to do so and you can exercise your rights by filing a claim.

Moreover, disputes related to IP may arise at any time with your partners, clients, co-workers and others. It is recommended that you go for professional and legal advice before settling outside the court.

Note that it is usually your responsibility to exercise your IP rights. In case of IP infringement, you have the legal right to take the case to the court. This is especially important for designs and trademarks with a significant commercial value.

If you want to settle IP disputes, our expert attorneys can help. We have considerable experience with IP laws, including copyrights, trademarks, patents and trade secrets.

We help you in maintaining your IP rights and exercising them when necessary. Contact us today for more information!