Is your brand protected? Getting things in order during the downturn 

COVID-19 has caused many businesses to suspend or slow down trade. 

As the world waits for things to return to normal, now is a good time to prioritise tasks that are often neglected during busier periods and to ready yourself to resume trading or return to more usual levels of trade.  Those who are best prepared will be those who emerge the quickest and the strongest.

An easy place to start is with your brand and trade marks. 

Your brand is one of your most important assets.  It is what distinguishes you from your competitors.  It is a valuable asset. If not already, it should be registered as a trade mark to ensure it is fully protected. 

The owner of a registered trade mark enjoys the exclusive right to use that trade mark in relation to its goods and/or services.  Should a competitor use a similar (or identical) brand, the registered trade mark can be relied upon to bring an infringement action against that competitor. 

Obtaining trade mark protection is often not a very expensive process, especially given the benefits that registration brings.

Lavan comment

Lavan can assist by:

• reviewing the Australian trade mark register to check whether your current brand is protected; 
• advising on what aspects of your brand ought to be protected through trade mark registration; and
• preparing and filing trade mark applications on your behalf at a fixed fee so that you have certainty in your spending. To help clients at this difficult time, until 30 June 2020 we can file applications for $1000 + GST (including the filing fee) for single class application.

Given trade mark applications take many months to be examined and finalised, it is best to make a start now so that your brand is protected (or well on its way to protection) by the time things return to normal and you are ready to take advantage of the opportunities that will arise for you and your business.

Until 30 June 2020 Lavan is now offering obligation free 30-minute trade mark consultation, as well as discounts on its usual trade mark fees to assist you to prepare your business for the post COVID-19 world. 

If you would like to discuss how you can protect your brand, please contact Iain Freeman or Andrew Sutton.