Intellectual Property Rights 101

Most people get confused over all the different categories of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and give up trying to understand it, much less try to apply for it. Then there are also those who lump IPR as one whole category and figured that it would be too costly and time consuming to protect this Intellectual Property thing.

But don't worry, we are here to save the day.

After much information consolidation, here's a simple infograph that explains the different types of IPR.

Not wise to trademark like these big guys

Trademarking your brand, be it logo, colors, or even scent is important, as your brand distinguishes your products from other traders. But how do we know that it is not taken too far? In this case, Tesco Stores Limited attempted a very simple mark, an example of when it might be taking trademarking a bit too far.

http://www.marketingmagazine.co.uk/article/1318214/tesco-drops-hopeless-application-trademark-blue-dashes-its-logo

So basically, they've registration for their brand name (EU000388223):

They've also trademarked their logo (EU003016458):

In 2013, they filed an application for the blue dashes (UK00003000786) which was rejected by the UK examiner:

As eloquently explained by our head honcho director, Edward;

This is yet another attempt by big corporations with deep pockets to try their luck on obtaining registration for signs which are generic and have very wide scope of rights.  It is trite law that a sign has to be distinctive in order to be registrable.  I liken the application for the ”blue dashes” to filing an application for a hashtag symbol or an underline, a generic sign which is a common expression of everyday usage and therefore inherently incapable of distinguishing the goods of one trader from another.  It is not difficult to see why the UK examiners are very reluctant to allow any single trader to monopolise use of such signs in commerce.

To sum up, don't try to trademark something that is too general, like dashes or exclamation marks.

SMExpo 2014 Roundup!

The LJ Vernus team held our first booth exhibition during the SMExpo 2014 last week. A regular face to the expo every year, the team has decided to take it a step further this time in order to reach out and educate more companies regarding the importance of trademarking and brand protection.

The expo proved to be a successful venture and we got to meet up with many old and new partners. As we’ve gotten good feedbacks from the team and the turnout, LJ Vernus is looking at attending more of such conventions and we’ll be back again next year!

Check out some of our on-site photos below!

Do drop us a note to say hi if we met you at the SMExpo! Hope to see you at our next neworking event!

For more interesting news and updates on the current trademark industry, don't forget to follow us on our blog!

Press release: LJ VERNUS WILL BE ATTENDING THE ASIAN DOMAIN SUMMIT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

7 August 2014                                                                                                                     

Contact: Azimah Jailani, Marcom Executive

Phone: +65 6746 2858

Email: azimah@ljvernus.com

LJ VERNUS WILL BE ATTENDING THE ASIAN DOMAIN SUMMIT

7 August 2014, SINGAPORE- LJ Vernus will be attending the Singapore version of the Asian Domain Summit on the 14^th August 2014.

Held at the Raffles Hotel, the Singapore leg of this event is a full day conference that primarily revolves around the domain registry industry. With 4 different summits taking places in Singapore, Xiamen, Hong Kong and Taiwan respectively, the organizers, WebNIC and RegAsia, aims to educate businesses, trademark and brand owners about managing one's brand on the Internet.

With more companies going digital, business owners must understand that the protection of intellectual property rights of a brand has to encompass both online and offline venues.

Director of LJ Vernus, Edward Jui, remarked that, “While most organizations realize the importance of trademarking their brand, many business owners do not have a holistic protection strategy set in place. In many cases, they fail to monitor their online assets which may result in the dilution of their trademark rights.”

For more information on LJ Vernus’s participation in this event, do visit http://bit.ly/1m4DvlU

LJ Vernus is an Intellectual Property firm specializing on trademark, providing expertise on trademark registration and prosecution services as well as integrated IPR solutions to businesses in Singapore, Malaysia, Asia and around the world. For further information, please contact Azimah Jailani at +65 6746 2858.

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Of oil and the colour green

BP loses battle to trademark the colour green in Australia

So what's exactly going on? Here's our take on the current situation.

A colour, by itself or in combination with other colour(s), may qualify as a trademark. However, registering colours per se as a trademark is more an exception rather than the rule. 

In many cases, achieving registration for a colour mark would require the applicant to show that the colour(s) in question has acquired distinctiveness through extensive use in relation to the claimed goods/services. For example, Singapore Reg. No. T9906795F for the famous three horizontal stripes colour mark in respect of retail services filed by 7-Eleven, INC in 1999 was granted registration after the registrar was satisfied that the lodged evidence of use showed that consumers in Singapore have come to identify the colour combination as identifying that the services originate from the 7-Eleven, INC and no other.

The difficulty in registering colours as trademark is one of public policy; the balance of granting monopoly over the use of a particular colour to a single trader without unduly restricting availability of colours for other traders who offer similar products or services.

In BP’s attempt to registering the colour mark, the authority was not persuaded that the lodged evidence was sufficient to show that it has acquired distinctiveness through substantial use.


Edward Jui

Happy National Day Singapore!

Home is where the heart is!

To all Singaporeans, and not forgetting those who are abroad, have a wonderful National Day. We hope you're looking forward to the parade and fireworks tomorrow!

Asian Domain Summit 2014

LJ Vernus will be attending the upcoming Asian Domain Summit (Singapore) on the 14th August this year. With 4 conferences taking place in Singapore, Xiaman, Hong Kong and Taiwan, LJ Vernus is proud to be part of this summit to learn more about the burgeoning domain registry industry and explore business opportunities of brand protection.

If you are participating in this event, we would love to have a chat with you. Contact us now to schedule a meeting.

Click image to register.

Press Release: IP WEEK@SG 2014

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

16 July 2014

Contact: Azimah Jailani, Marcom Executive

Phone: +65 6746 2858

Email: azimah@ljvernus.com

LJ VERNUS IS ATTENDING IP WEEK@SG

16 July 2014, SINGAPORE – LJ Vernus will be attending the IP Week@SG, an annual event where Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) industry members from all over the world come to share and discuss the latest developments in the IPR industry.

Hosted by Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) for its third year running, the event will be taking place at the Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre from the 25^th to 27^th August 2014. This year’s event promises a myriad of in-depth conferences, open workshops and exhibitions that tackles all topics related to the IPR industry.

Mr Edward Jui, director of LJ Vernus, commented that “Our government is committed to establishing Singapore as the Intellectual Property Hub of Asia.  With the in-depth conferences and networking opportunities lined up in the upcoming IP Week@SG, it provides an excellent platform for Attorneys, in-house counsels and trademark owners to keep abreast of latest developments and best practices in the IPR industry and also forge new professional partnerships.”

For more information on the LJ Vernus’s participation in this event, do visit http://bit.ly/1m9DcoZ

LJ Vernus is an Intellectual Property firm specializing on trademark, providing expertise on trademark registration and prosecution services as well as integrated IPR solutions to businesses in Singapore, Malaysia, Asia and around the world. For further information, please contact Azimah Jailani at +65 6746 2858.

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Press Release: LJ VERNUS WILL BE EXHIBITING AT THE SME EXPO 2014

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

30 June 2014

Contact: Azimah Jailani, Marcom Executive
Phone: +65 6746 2858
Email: azimah@ljvernus.com

LJ VERNUS WILL BE EXHIBITING AT THE SME EXPO 2014

30 June 2014, SINGAPORE – LJ Vernus will be exhibiting at the upcoming SMExpo 2014 in an effort to educate and reach out to more businesses regarding their specialization on trademark services.

The SMExpo 2014, which is organized by the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry, will be LJ Vernus’s first exhibition. Taking place at the Marina Bay Sands on both 20th and 21st August 2014, LJ Vernus will be on site to explain to business owners the importance of intellectual property rights and eliminate any misconceptions that most business owners have regarding the trademark process.

Director of LJ Vernus, Mr Edward Jui, commented that, “Most business owners, especially SMEs, do not realize the importance of trademarking their brand until it is too late. We want to let them know that it is not an expensive nor a complicated process.”

The SMExpo 2014 is organized in conjunction with the Annual SMEs Conference and Infocomm Commerce Conference. Other than private business owners, 12 different governmental bodies will also be there to showcase the different schemes and grants opened to SMEs owners.

LJ Vernus is an Intellectual Property firm specializing on trademark, providing expertise on trademark registration and prosecution services as well as integrated IPR solutions to businesses in Singapore, Malaysia, Asia and around the world. For further information, please contact Azimah Jailani at +65 6746 2858.

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IP Week @ SG

LJ Vernus will be attending the annual IP Week @ SG which is being organized by the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS). Already in its third year running, this year's event promises a vibrant networking platform consisting of in-depth conferences, open workshops and exhibition with the industry leaders, top names in IP and C-level executives from across the world.

LJ Vernus looks forward to catching up with our current partners and making more meaningful connections with potential partners at this upcoming event.

Click on the image for more information on IP Week @ SG.

Feel free to reach us at info@ljvernus.com for more information or book an appointment with us if you're participating.

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