Did you know that Umbro lost a Supreme Court case last summer?
Here is a question that tends to stop people in their tracks. Did you know that Umbro, the company behind one of the most recognised logos in British sport, lost a case at the UK Supreme Court last summer? Most people quietly assume that once you are big enough to own a famous logo, and […]
Oatly’s ‘Post Milk Generation’ Trademark Struck Down by the UK Supreme Court
There is a comforting little thought that a lot of business owners allow themselves once the certificate finally arrives, and it tends to go something like this: I have got my trademark registered, so that is the job done. I completely understand the appeal of believing it, because registration feels like a finish line and […]
Scam Warning: Prestige Marks and Trademark Axis, Have You Received An Email?
Over the years, we have seen plenty of trademark scams. Some arrive by post. Some arrive by email. Some look like invoices. Others look like urgent legal warnings. This latest potential scam example caught our attention because it follows a very familiar pattern, but this time it came by email. We became aware of this […]
How a Trademark Dispute Turned Into a £322,000 Costs Bill
A large portion of the new enquiries we receive are from established businesses and brands who have received a cease-and-desist letter, telling them they need to rebrand. Often the question people ask us is, what happens when a trademark dispute turns nasty, and what it actually costs to fight one. A High Court decision handed […]
Why Taylor Swift Trademarking Her Voice Should Make Every UK Brand Owner Think Harder About AI
This isn’t the first time we have commended Taylor Swift over here on the Helpline, after all, who doesn’t love a bit of Tay Tay? This story broke on the back of a tweet from a US trademark lawyer. Josh Gerben, who has spent years quietly flagging celebrity USPTO filings before the rest of the […]
Scam Warning: Trademarks Filers and Trademark Genius
One of our clients has received a new trademark scam email from a business calling itself Trademarks Filers. The email claimed that another organisation was trying to register the client’s brand name and that the client had a limited window to act before they lost their position. This is the typical fear-based scam, it creates […]
Think Before You Threaten: What the Crystal Bar Trademark Battle Teaches Every Business Owner
The fight over the Crystal Bar vape brand has generated more litigation than most trademark disputes produce in a decade. A Court of Appeal judgment handed down last week cuts through the detail to deliver a clear message: enforcement letters are a legitimate tool, but they carry real legal risk if the trademark behind them […]
Scam Warning – Distinction Law, have you received a letter?
We have reported before that scam surrounding trademarks are on the rise. One that seems to be doing the rounds of the past few weeks has come to light after various clients contacted us after receiving formal legal notices relating to trademark applications, allegedly issued by “Distinction Law”. One of these clients is a close personal friend of […]
When Big Brand Enforcement Fails: What the Easygroup v Easyfeetstore Ruling Means for SMEs
easyJet. easyGroup. easyFood. easyTravelseat. Since 2000, the “easy” brand empire built by Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou has grown into one of the UK’s most recognisable trademark families, and one of its most active enforcers. In the last decade alone, easyGroup has brought more than 52 court actions against businesses trading under names that begin with “easy.” […]
OMPS Trademark Scam Warning – Have you received a Trademark publication letter?
Over the years, we have reported on a growing number of trademark scams targeting UK businesses. One that continues to circulate heavily is the OMPS trademark letter scam. Unlike some of the more aggressive “legal notice” style scams we have written about previously, the OMPS letter is designed to look more like an official publication […]