The lesson here is simple: no matter how well-known your brand is or how reputable your law firm is, basic rules broken lead to catastrophic losses*. Trademark juggernaut McDonald’s lost registration of one of its most famous trademarks in the European Union because the EU Intellectual Property Office found that it did not properly use its trademark. How can this be, given that European consumers know exactly what a Big Mac is (even if they don’t eat it)? The Decision In the

If you're a brand owner and someone is squatting a domain with your brand name in it, possibly even linking to your competitors, you need to stop that yesterday. The Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) process can get your domain from a cybersquatter in about 75 days. It is a legal proceeding that is initiated in an international tribunal, most commonly the WIPO tribunal in Geneva, Switzerland. Owning a trademark will significantly help your success in a UDPR

Use of trademarks is an area where U.S. trademark law differs from many other jurisdictions. The general rule is that a mark must be in use as a trademark in order to acquire and maintain trademark rights, although there are some exceptions to this rule. This article summarises key areas where use of a trademark is critical to trademark protection. Use required for registration. Before a trademark is granted registration in a trademark, U.S. trademark applicants must demonstr