The Triumphs and Tribulations of Trademark Law with Glenn Duker If you have a company name, phrase, logo, or anything distinctive and unique in your branding – registering a trademark is an important way to protect your intellectual property. Once a trademark is in place, the owner is protected legally from other companies replicating or producing something similar to the original. glenn duker solicitor is here to help you with any legal related enquiries. Over the years there have been many ambitious, and also down right stupid attempts at trademarks.
Here are some famous examples that are sure to generate some amusement: Harley Davidson – The engine sound: While there have been many successful trademarks of sounds in the past, Harley Davidson went a bit too far in attempting to brand the sound of their revving engine. Competing manufacturers made the point that many other engines sound almost exactly the same, and the case was quickly thrown out. Subway -The ‘footlong’ sub: Famous for their ‘Footlong Sub’, Subway is has lost the battle with competing fast food chains including Pizza Hut and KFC over the use of ‘footlong’. It was determined that ‘footlong’ was regularly used in the food industry and was not unique to Subway. McDonalds – We own ‘Mc’!: While McDonalds have enjoyed success with trademarks in the past -such as the case against ‘McCoffee’ – they have been unsuccessful in placing ownership on the ‘Mc’ prefix. It was determined in a case against Malaysian restaurant McCurry that McDonalds did not have exclusive rights to ‘Mc’. For more advice and help registering your trademark and protecting yourself from branding please contact glenn duker lawyer today.