Business names: rule change benefits trade mark owners

A recent change in procedure has strengthened the legal power of registered trade mark owners in business name disputes. The change means that if a new company tries to incorporate using a name you have registered as a trade mark, you can use a new, streamlined procedure to prevent this happening.

Previously, trademark owners had to take legal proceedings against companies that were incorporated under identical, or confusingly, similar names. This added to the time and cost of sorting out conflicting brands and market confusion. 

Dennis Lee, partner, intellectual property law, said: “Here at Silverman Sherliker, we welcome this new and overdue procedure to help overcome name disputes quickly and cost effectively. 

“This measure again demonstrates the crucial importance of protecting your brand by registration as a trade mark. If you do not protect your brand, the tables can be turned against you and you can lose all the goodwill in your business literally overnight.”

We are one of the UK’s leading law firms for filing trade mark applications and handling contentious and non-contentious matters. 

For a free trademark search and legal advice on your trade mark position, visit our branding and trademark advice website at www.uktrademarkregistration.com or email Dennis Lee on dktl@silvermansherliker.co.uk for further advice and information.