Trade marks

This subtopic provides an overview of trade marks under EU law.

The World Intellectual Property Office defines intellectual property (IP) as 'creations of the mind, such as inventions; literary and artistic works; design; and symbols, names and images used in commerce'. Broadly, the aim of IP law is to cultivate an environment in which creativity and invention can flourish. Protection of IP rights means those that invest time and resource in creating and developing IP can reap benefit from their investment. By registering (where necessary), maintaining and enforcing IP rights, a rights holder can prevent people stealing or copying valuable assets.

The four most common IP rights are:

1. •

   copyright, databases & associated rights

2. •

   designs

3. •

   patents, and

4. •

   trade marks

This subtopic focuses on trade marks. A trade mark is a sign used to distinguish the goods and services of one undertaking from those of another. In other words, a trade mark enables consumers to identify goods or services as originating from a particular company or relating to a certain product or service. Typically trade marks take the form of words or