What is an Economic Operators Registration and Identification (EORI) Number? An Economic Operators Registration and Identification (EORI) number is an identification number used across the European Union (EU) for interactions with the customs authorities in each individual Member State. It was first introduced in 2009 to create a more efficient system for economic operators and [...]
Why protect trade marks in China? With so many brand owners conducting business in China it is imperative to consider protecting your trade mark in that country. Brand identity and its protection is critical for the success of any business. This is of particular importance in China where, if you do not register your trade [...]
Understanding Your Design The look of a product you have designed such as its physical shape, pattern and colours, can be protected to stop its replication. It is worth noting that designs only protect the appearance of the product, not the idea or concept behind it, or how the product works. In other words, "design" [...]
Taking stock of your assets We are well into the New Year and it is always a good time for new beginnings, to take stock on our progress, and, for start-ups, it can be a good time for getting all your ducks in a row and making sure everything is in order. Your brand name [...]
What makes an effective patent? Patent litigation generally boils down to the legal interpretation of one or two carefully chosen words out of the thousands of words which make up each patent application. You, as the inventor, are the expert on the technical aspects of your own invention. It is, however, advisable to commission a [...]
Looking back on 2021 statistics it is apparent which brands in Europe have increased in value. The total value of Europe’s top 500 most valuable brands dropped 10% from €1.96 trillion to €1.76 trillion during the COVID 19 pandemic but some brands managed to buck this trend and increase in value despite, or indeed because [...]
Our colleagues, Cherrie Stewart and Dr. Isabel Meenan, are joining the Ballymeana Business Centre tomorrow for a "Wee Buns for Business" session. They will be discussing Intellectual Property in all its breadth, covering the main areas of Trade Marks, Patents, Design, Trade Secrets and Copyright. The webinar will start at 10am and there will be [...]
Cherrie Stewart, Director and Trade Mark Attorney, based in our Belfast office, has once again contributed an article of interest to the latest copy of the CITMA Review. The process of purchasing IP rights from the Crown has changed somewhat in the post -Brexit world, as EUTMs are no longer available for purchase from the [...]
At MacLachlan & Donaldson, we maintain that everyone has IP, even if they don’t know about it. Even Santa Claus might need to consider IP protection after a busy year of toy creation: “Ok, Mr Claus we have a lot to discuss regarding the protection of your Intellectual Property (IP). I note that, [...]
The legal definition of a trade mark is any sign, capable of being represented graphically, which can distinguish goods or services of one undertaking from those of other undertakings. A trade mark can be a word, a phase, a symbol, a colour or a combination of these elements, but the question is what makes a [...]
