Trademark service launched by Napthens

Lancashire law firm Napthens has launched a new service making it easier for businesses to register trademarks.

A brand can be one of the most valuable assets for a business, and usually comprises its trade name, a sign, symbol, slogan or anything used to identify and distinguish a specific product, service or business.

Benjamin Dredge, solicitor in the corporate department at Napthens, and a specialist in intellectual property, warns that protecting a brand with a registered trade mark brings considerable benefits, but that process has many pitfalls and can seem confusing.

The new Napthens service is designed to make the trademark registration process as smooth as possible, with a simple online form to start the process and a fixed fee cost.

The service also includes a consultation with a fully qualified intellectual property solicitor, something which sets it apart from other online registration services which do not generally provide qualified legal advice.

He said: “Registering a trademark can ensure a brand is not used without permission, and makes it far easier to take legal action against those who do.

“It allows trading standards officers or the police to bring criminal charges against counterfeiters, and gives a business the opportunity to sell the brand, franchise it or charge a fee for a license that allows others to use it.

“Businesses sometimes wrongly assume that buying a string of internet domain names or registering the business with Companies House gives the relevant protection, but that is not the case.

“Start up businesses, for instance, would have no protection if a rival company began using a brand name or similar logo, without a trade mark registration. “The trademark application process can be difficult and potentially hazardous for a business, and getting good advice can avoid wasted costs due to an application being rejected.”