What’s in a name? The entire store of goodwill in your business, in many cases. In the second article in our series on intellectual property, Jackie Maguire, chief executive of Coller IP Management explains what constitutes a trademark and how to protect it.
To run a business effectively, good planning and having a vision of what is to be achieved are essential. Yet many companies think of protecting their brand almost as an after-thought.
Having a good trademark portfolio to support a brand can add a great deal of value to a company as trademarks are assets on which a real monetary value can be placed and help to ensure that the real value of a business is recognised when it comes to seeking additional funding or when making plans to sell. Research shows conclusively that many consumers buy goods and services because of the label or name attached to them.
Unfortunately, some companies decide just to use a name and run the risk that someone is already using it or that it will be copied, undermining their value and reputation. This is a high-risk strategy.
Imagine you have decided what to call your company, perhaps registered your domain name and all its variants, you are up and running and the business is on track. Or is it?
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EN for Business Magazine – August 2010
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