Registering a trademark is the first step. Knowing when someone comes too close is the next.
Graham Prisk, director of Rame Consulting Limited, came to The Trademark Helpline in 2013 to protect the company name.
Two registrations
We filed two UK applications on 7 May 2013, one for RAME and one for RAME CONSULTING LIMITED. Both were registered in August 2013.
Trying monitoring
In early 2014 we offered Graham a free trial of our trademark monitoring service. Like many business owners, he hadn’t come across monitoring before. He agreed to try it, and from the end of March 2014 it became a monthly service.
A copycat within weeks
Within the first month, monitoring found a newly registered company trading under a very similar name, “Rame Consultants”.
We recommended starting with a clear letter setting out Rame Consulting’s registered rights, rather than going straight to expensive lawyers. In Rame’s own words, it “led to prompt action and the curtailing of the infringement”.
Monitoring kept working. By July 2014 the next issue it found had also been resolved, amicably enough that the other business was talking to Rame about becoming a client.
Looking ahead
The findings made Graham think about the future. In July 2014 he asked us for a full IP search, to look at widening his protection as the business moved into new areas.
What Rame Consulting said
“We were unaware of monitoring services before being contacted, but the monitoring service has proven to be incredibly valuable. Within the first month, it identified a trademark infringement which led to prompt action and the curtailing of the infringement. The information provided by the service has been extremely useful and we believe it offers excellent value for money. We would definitely recommend this service to other trademark owners.”
Rame Consulting Limited
Would you know if someone copied your name?
A registration only helps if you know when someone comes close. Our trademark monitoring watches the register for you. If we find a problem, a cease and desist letter is often the quickest, cheapest way to deal with it.
Book a free 15-minute call to talk it through.
