Are you starting a new project? Or rebranding? Or growing your business to sell? Do you: Know whatย โ€˜brandโ€™ย means and signifies toย the value of your business? Knowย whenย andย howย toย protect your IP? Have theย knowledge and skills in Brand IP and brandingย to be your ownย brand manager? You as theย business ownerย need aย solid understandingย ofย Brand and IPย so youย can beย itsย brand manager. Or if your Read More ยป

By Shireen SmithJune 28, 2023
Why Every Business Needs a Brand Manager

Tesco made a big mistake when it launched its innovative loyalty card scheme under a name it could not own. The company tried in vain to register Clubcard as a trademark. Unless a business has intellectual property protecting its innovation, such as a trademark, patent, copyright, design, or trade secret, competitors are free to copy Read More ยป

By Shireen SmithJune 19, 2023
A Million-pound Mistake?

Tesco probably didnโ€™t initially realise the wider ramifications of using the Clubcard name, so may have been satisfied with its advertising agency. However, clients who are initially satisfied with a service can later become dissatisfied once they learn more about brandingโ€ฆ This happened to me. Nearly 10 years ago a designer acquaintance approached me to Read More ยป

By Shireen SmithJune 19, 2023
How To Have Satisfied Clients Long Term

As a law firm owner I regularly hear about the problems businesses experience around IP. While their individual circumstances vary hugely, the IP mistakes they make are common and easily avoidable. The reason these IP mistakes are widespread is that they occur very early on when new businesses or projects are initiated. Well before people Read More ยป

By Shireen SmithJune 19, 2023
IP Issues That Impact Business Design

Last week I mentioned that Tesco lost the benefit of its million-pound marketing spend because it used the Clubcard name instead of a stronger name like Tescocard. If you missed it you can read it on the Azrights blogย A million-pound mistake? Although Tesco received an inadequate service from its advertising agency, chances are that at Read More ยป

By Shireen SmithJune 19, 2023
What We Can Learn From The Tesco Case

Intellectual Property (IP) is part and parcel of business, yet it abounds with misconceptions. For example, itโ€™s not generally appreciated that protecting IP starts by understanding how to choose effective names, address questions of brand architecture, such as after a merger, as well as to know how the various IP rights protect key aspects of Read More ยป

By Shireen SmithFebruary 2, 2023
Do You Know The Best Way to Protect Your Intellectual Property?