Having gone to the effort and expense of registering a trade mark, you need to protect your trade mark by ensuring that others do not register a trade mark similar to yours. In order to ensure that your registered trade marks (referred to as ‘trademarks’ in Europe and the US) receive comprehensive protection, it is important to monitor and watch new trade mark applications for potential infringements.
Trade mark watching can help you to react quickly to any applications made by third parties that might infringe upon your intellectual property rights. As a general rule, it is quicker, less complex and less expensive to take action against a third-party trade mark at an early stage, especially if it is yet to be registered and the country has an opposition procedure that allows you to oppose a trade mark before it is registered.
Many businesses do not have the time nor inclination to keep a close eye on what others are doing that might affect or erode their brand. However, any business which is serious about brand protection or monitoring competitor activity should consider trade mark watching, especially given the relatively low annual costs associated with this service.
Frequently asked questions
Our Trade Mark Watching Service helps you manage your trade marks in a proactive and cost-effective way. Here we answer some commonly asked questions about the service:
What is trade mark watching?
As part of our Trade Mark Watching Service, we search the necessary and relevant trade mark journals in order to identify third-party applications that are similar or identical to your marks. While you will be aware of some competitors, it is unlikely that you have the time or inclination to review multiple trade mark registers on a continuing basis in order to assess whether there is a potential breach of your trade mark rights elsewhere.
In which countries should I get the Trade Mark Watching Service?
By watching the trade mark registers in both the current and future key territories for your business, you can protect your own marks and be made aware of third-party trademark applications that have the potential to impact upon your brand or business strategy.
We have three options for our Trademark Watching Service:
- UK Watch
- EUTM Watch
- Worldwide Watch
How does it work in practice?
We offer a comprehensive service, allowing you to choose the trade marks that are watched, the relevant trademark use classes and the territories which we monitor for you.
We use software that has the capability to search all major territory trademark journals. Not every territory is searchable and we cannot guarantee that every registry keeps its records totally up to date but most territories are updated at least once a week. However, we work with you to make sure the results are brought to your attention with enough time to consider the possible impact of the relevant third-party application and to explore what, if any, action you may wish to take against the application.
At the end of each month, or as often as is necessary, we will provide you with a report showing the applications which have been identified as posing a potential threat to your brand. Our team of experts will review the results and highlight any results which we consider might be problematic for you.
Whilst not included as part of the Trademark Watching Service, if you require advice on any aspect stemming from the results, our team of experts will be on hand to assist. If you decide to lodge an objection, opposition or take any other action against a trade mark application, we can help you with this and, where necessary, work with our international partners.
Trade Mark Services
How much does the Trade Mark Watching Service cost?
The fees quoted below are exclusive of VAT and apply per trade mark, to include two trade mark use classes (additional classes incur additional charges). The prices below are for a full 12-month period, payable in full and in advance.
- UK Watch – £600+vat
- EU and UK Search – £800+vat
- Worldwide Search – £1500+vat
Call us on 03330 430350 to find out more about our Trade Mark Watching Service. Or make an enquiry online and one of our Trade Mark Agency team will contact you.
How can Thorntons Trade Mark Agency help?
We offer comprehensive trade mark monitoring services, allowing you to choose the marks which are watched, the relevant trade mark classes and the territories which we monitor. Our watching service searches the necessary and relevant trade mark journals in order to identify applications which are similar or identical to your marks. At the end of each month, or as often as is necessary, we will provide you with a report showing the applications which have been identified as posing a potential threat to your brand.
By watching the trade mark registers in both the current and future key territories for your business, you can protect your own marks and be made aware of third party applications which have the potential to impact upon your brand or business strategy.
Our watching services are intended to bring to your attention the trade mark landscape for your marks. We highlight applications which, from a trade mark perspective, are of notable risk to your registered rights.
Meet the Experts
Intellectual Property, Trade Marks
Intellectual Property, Trade Marks
Corporate & Commercial, Data Protection & GDPR, Intellectual Property, Trade Marks