Trade Marks

You’re starting a brand, it’s just about to take off, but you’re not sure what other similar brands are out there. Maybe you’ve been investing in your brand for years and you want to make sure its valuable reputation is protected. Or, it’s too late, and someone’s gone and stolen your idea or logo and their products are being mistaken for yours. Perhaps you want to license or sell your brand, or you’re thinking of stepping things up a notch and taking it overseas. For any of these situations, registering a trade mark protects your business identity and prevents your competition from using a confusingly similar (or identical) one. If protected properly, your trade mark can become the most valuable asset in your business.

Registering your trademark involves a few hurdles and tricks to get right. Legalese has a dedicated Intellectual Property lawyer specializing in all things copyright and trademark related. With years of experience under our belts, we can advise on and handle the process, and work with you on a strategy to best protect what’s yours.

Some of the Trade Mark services we offer:

  • Advice on brand or trade mark suitability and protection possibilities.
  • Search service for competitive and infringing trademarks in South Africa and world wide.
  • Filing and registration of trade marks in South Africa and world wide.
  • Preventing infringement of your trade marks.
  • Trade mark prosecution and litigation services.
  • Trade mark oppositions.
  • Trade mark management.
  • Renewal of trade marks – sending you reminders and effecting renewal.
  • Assignment of trade marks.

 

 

To get started we can do a free check for you to see if your exact chosen word or phrase may be available. We will then send you our results and more information on the registration process.

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Services

We provide Intellectual Property (IP) services and advice on how to comprehensively protect your competitive edge, IP and anything else in your business that cannot be ‘touched’.

We will assist you with  advice related to branding and Trade Marks, Copyright, Registered Designs, Patents, Trade Secrets, Know-How, Domain Names, Advertising, Product Labeling and any other IP matters or issues you may face.

Trade Marks

We will assist you with all of your branding and trade mark needs. Please refer to the next sections below for more details.

Copyright

We assist with any copyright related advice, including reviewing and drafting any copyright-related agreements, copyright assignment and licensing and copyright infringement matters .

Registered Designs

We help you with the registration of any novel designs, whether aesthetic or functional, that you have created. Please note that a design must be registered within 6 months of it having been made public to qualify for registration – however it is advisable to register it prior to publication.

We can also assist with any related agreements, such as assignment or licensing agreements.

Patents

We can provide you with initial advice on whether your idea or invention may be patentable. We also assist with facilitating the search and registration process.

Domain Names

Did someone register a domain name that includes your brand? This may amount to an abusive registration. We can assist you with registering your domain and in any domain name disputes you may face if someone else took your domain in bad faith.

Know-How, Trade Secrets and Non Disclosure Agreements

We can help you to protect your trade secrets, know-how and other IP that gives you a competitive edge.

Advertising

We can assist you with advice on ensuring that your advertisement, including product labels, comply with the law. We can also assist you with any advertising disputes lodged with the ASA (Advertising Standards Authority of South Africa).