International Attorneys
August 31, 2011
Intellectual Property Information
Intellectual Property Registrations
When having to apply for intellectual property rights in another country, you will have to make use of international attorneys specializing in intellectual property law such as trademarks, design rights, copyright, and patents.
The national laws of countries vary when it comes to copyright protection, trademarks, designs, and patents.
It is essential that you understand the procedures for filing an intellectual property right in the specific country and follow the procedures carefully.
This is where the expertise of international attorneys comes in. The international intellectual property attorneys are familiar with the various laws governing intellectual property as well as the various international treaties in place.
As such you will save effort, money, many frustrations and minimize the risk of application failure when making use of international attorney firms to assist with intellectual property registration.
One of the mistakes often made by trademark holders is to assume that their trademarks are valid in other countries.
International Trademark Registrations
Trademarks are geographically bound to specific regions and can only provide protection against infringement if registered in specific classes.
If you thus want your trademark to be valid in for instance, Botswana, you must first register it in South Africa and apply for registration in Botswana according to the national laws of the country.
The registration must also be done in all the classes in which you seek trademark protection.
International trademark attorneys can assist in this regard and will guide you regarding documents required, information that must be submitted, any translations which may be needed, trademark searches, and the actual application completion.
It is not only regarding trademarks where you will require the assistance of experienced international attorneys specialising in intellectual property laws, but also regarding patents and any of the other intellectual property rights.
Contact us at Smit & Van Wyk as international attorneys to assist you with any related intellectual property registrations and disputes in foreign countries.
South Africa Trademark Attorneys
March 19, 2010
Trade Marks ™ ®
Help from South Africa trademark attorneys on the various symbols
You may have seen the TM lettering behind a word written in superscript directly after the slogan, logo or product name.
If you apply for trademark rights on a brand, through South Africa trademark attorneys, you will be advised not to use the TM lettering unless the trademark has been awarded. If the trademark has not yet been awarded through means of registration the South Africa trademark attorneys will recommend the usage of R in superscript, within a circle.
This symbol is often seen on the Internet where the company will also issue a statement regarding allowable use of their product names and for referencing their product brands.
If you need help in registering a trademark, make use of the experienced team of South Africa trademark attorneys at Smit & Van Wyk.
Trademark Infringements on the rise
February 3, 2010
Trade Marks ™ ®
Trademark infringements occur when the exclusive rights associated with a trademark are infringed by another party.
This happens when a party other than the holder of the trademark makes use of the logo or identification of a product or service registered as a trademark by the holder thereof or uses one similar to the one registered as to cause confusion with consumers over the product.
Trademark infringements are rising and although business owners may feel that registration will thus be useless, without registering the trademark the company will have no grounds for action against another party that copies its logo or identification.
It is thus money well spent as it provides legal grounds for preventing counter fitting or causing of confusion with the public. Confusion can be based on the proximity of goods, similarity in the identification marks, marketing channels utilized and more.
Trademark Attorney
February 3, 2010
Trade Marks ™ ®
Trademark Attorney’s role in selection of an appropriate category for registration.
The trademark attorney is especially important when it comes to international trademarks. Understanding in which category trademark applications should be made is essential to ensure the success of the application. Cosmetics for instance, fall under International Category 3 in short known as IC-3. So do sandpaper, tattoo sprays, and some food and beverages.
From this it can be seen that the sheer number of products that can go under a specific trademark category, can cause loads of confusion.
Fortunately the trademark attorney is well acquainted with the various categories and will as such ensure that your trademark is registered in the appropriate category.
Gauteng Trademark Attorney
January 12, 2010
Attorneys
There is no reason why you should be the victim of unscrupulous business people hoping to cash in on the success of your enterprise.
Smit & Van Wyk Incorporated can provide you with an expert Gauteng trademark attorney that will assist you through the registration process to ensure that your unique trademark is protected from being misused by any unauthorised persons.
Apart from, helping you with the application and filing, we also have the resources to conduct searches, both locally and internationally, to ensure that your trademark is truly unique and thus qualifies for registration.
Smit & Van Wyk Incorporated is a specialist legal agency that possesses extensive knowledge and experience regarding all matters related to intellectual property in South Africa.
If you require a leading Gauteng trademark attorney, be sure to contact us immediately.
