JK Rowling is now a successful writer with one of the most valuable brands. It’s taken her just 21 years to get there. Initially, when she sent her first manuscript to publishers, she was turned down by more than 12 of them b...

What are trademarks?

Trade marks identify your products and services so that customers may find the products and services they like and avoid those they didn’t enjoy. If consumers have had a good experience with a business, o...

Facebook and Instagram successfully recovered more than 100 domain names recently from a business that was selling Facebook and Instagram ‘likes’ and ‘followers’.

Social Marketing Madness had registered domain names that inc...

While the Chinese system of trademark registration shares many common elements with the European regime there are subtle differences that present a trap for the unwary.

Even Donald Trump had a long standing battle with a Chines...

If you want a legal monopoly over an innovation there is no better way to achieve it than a patent.

Patents help you protect your creativity against copycat “me too” offerings. They last for up to 20 years.

Patent protection e...

While SMEs are increasingly aware of the importance of intellectual property only a fraction of business owners are getting the right IP protection

That’s because IP is a complex subject, and business owners often don’t have a ...

Your product or service’s brand name is how you promote and advertise your business—and it’s what your customers use to recommend you.

Using a strong brand name, your business becomes better known and builds goodwill in its na...

Picking a name for your business isn’t always straightforward.

An obvious first step for entrepreneurs embarking on a naming project is to pick some names and do a search engine check to assess whether anyone else is using ...

There is a myth that securing IP protection is pointless if you lack the resources to litigate.

You’re actually much more likely to get into a dispute if you don’t register your rights than if you do. Owning registered IP righ...

The appearance of your website, logo, or products is of paramount importance for the success of your business.

Design registration is available to protect the visual appearance of a product, or aspects of it, such as its shap...

In this information-led economy, intellectual property is key. If you understand IP, and protect your assets strategically, the value of your IP could make your business far more valuable than the multiples of earnings figure ...