March 19, 2010 | Law
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.
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February 3, 2010 | Advocates
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.
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February 3, 2010 | Advocates
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.
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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.
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The business world can be cutthroat, and it can prove invaluable to employ the services of trademark attorneys along the way – preferably sooner than later. You may not be aware of it, but your business might possess more valuable intellectual property than you realise. With the right expertise this can be exploited to benefit your business. Left unattended, the competition might use the gap which could potentially have detrimental consequences for your business.
Smit & Van Wyk Incorporated is a specialist South African legal practice dealing exclusively with intellectual property law. Our fields of practice encompass all aspects, including litigation, relating to patents, trademarks, industrial designs, copyright, as well as providing advice on the commercial rights attached to each of these forms of protection. Contact our expert trademark attorneys to assist you in identifying potential intellectual property opportunities within your business and make the most of them.
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One thing every successful company have in common is that they have some kind of trademark to distinguish them from the rest of the competition. An expert trademark attorney from Smit & Van Wyk Incorporated can help you to spot identifiers for your business and get them registered so that you can exploit the benefits optimally. If you already have a trademark that you want to register, the trademark attorney can also have the database of South African trademarks searched to ensure that your chosen mark is unique and does not infringe upon the rights of any other registered brand in the country.
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 trademark lawyer, be sure to contact us immediately.
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At Smit & Van Wyk Incorporated we specialise in all legal matters connected to intellectual property. Whether you are interested in registering a new patent, defending your copyright on a certain project, protecting your unique trademark, or simply looking for assistance in determining what intellectual properties your company possess of, we have an expert attorney for you.
As mentioned, if it is a patent attorney you are looking for, we can offer you the best there is. Apart from the traditional forms of engineering and gadget-type inventions, we have the expertise to deal with inventions on the cutting edge of technology, such as Biotechnology, Bioinformatics, Biochemistry, Nano-technology, Telecommunications, Computer technology, and Software. These are fields in which the generation of intellectual property in the form of patents are essential to successfully compete against more established players. Stay ahead of the game with the help of an expert attorney from Smit & Van Wyk Incorporated.
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September 28, 2009 | Attorneys
A trademark attorney can advise you on both the selection of trademarks and will carry out searches on your behalf to ensure there is no conflict with earlier trademarks. Registration of your trademark offers you several advantages. It establishes your rights to the mark, even before you use it. Registration of your mark will also simplify any infringement proceedings and at the same time notifies others of your claim to that mark. A trademark attorney can also advise you on searching, licensing, technology transfer, setting up joint ventures, copyright protection and litigation in relation to intellectual property.
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South African trademark attorneys must be members of the South African Institute of Intellectual Property Law, and must have passed Intellectual Property examinations set by its Council. Legislation regarding trademarks is contained in the Trademark Act 194 of 1993. Like a patent attorney, trademark attorneys specialize in Intellectual Property, but unlike the patent attorney they do not usually possess a Degree in Science or Engineering. Once accepted as a member of the Institute though, the trademark attorneys in South Africa are bound by a code of ethics that is laid down by the Council of the Institute.
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A trademark attorney is an attorney who specializes in intellectual property other than patents. Trademark attorneys are bound by a code of ethics that are laid down by the South African Institute of Intellectual Property Law. Trademark attorneys can advise you on the protection of your trademarks, brand names, designs, logos as well as the laws that regulate intellectual property. A trademark can be either a logo, a slogan or a brand name – in the case of Coca Cola it can even be the shape of the bottle. It can be the most valuable asset of a business and it is important that it is adequately protected. A brand name is a word or combination of words such as "Kentucky Fried Chicken". Trademark attorneys can advise you on both the selection of trademarks or brand names and will carry out searches on your behalf to ensure there is no conflict with earlier trademarks.
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