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Sector group

Trade marks

Trade marks enable brands to secure a strong competitive advantage by distinguishing their goods and services from those of their competitors.

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Trade marks exist to provide the owner with certain exclusive rights to words, logos, slogans, numbers, colours and audio branding, providing a powerful tool in preventing copycats and counterfeits.

HGF’s large, multidisciplinary team across Europe provides industry-leading advice in securing trade marks for brands across all industries, be it retail, media or food & drink, ensuring goods and services are registered in the optimum categories and jurisdictions to secure the strongest possible protection.

Our attorneys represent clients at the EU, UK, German and Benelux Trade Mark Registries and are also highly experienced in dealing with oppositions, appeals and IP litigation.

In addition, our trade mark attorneys work closely with our IP lawyers in relation to agreements such as for IP licensing, franchising, merchandising, coexistence, selective distribution, and litigation.

See our trade marks specialists

Trade mark industries

Automotive
Creative, media & entertainment
Finance
Food & drink
Healthcare
Medical devices
Retail

Latest updates

Why should I register the Trade Mark(s) of my business? – 6 Top Tips

A trade mark is anything that identifies the origin of goods or services writes Rebecca Field, Partner & Trade Mark Attorney (pictured above). This includes the name of the product, …

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Design (registrations) to win -this time its GIN! - M&S vs ALDI

This case illustrates how a well thought out design registration strategy helped Marks and Spencer (M&S) win the day against the discount specialist, Aldi. It is another chapter in the …

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CJEU sees red - Louboutin vs Amazon

Christian Louboutin for anyone who doesn’t know, is a French designer of luxury footwear and handbags, whose best-known goods are high-heeled (often very!) women’s shoes. From the mid-1990s onwards, he …

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Protection of retail formats in China: the Decathlon case

The copying of whole retail formats in China is not unknown. For example in 2011 authorities in Kunming found 22 ‘fake’ Apples stores in their city with many of the …

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WTR 1000 2023

HGF is delighted that our European trade mark team has been recognised in the gold tier in the World Trade Mark Review 1000 2023. The firm is also proud to …

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WIPR article - Rolex: is the trademark world its Oyster?

HGF Trade Mark Director Claire Jones comments in the WIPR article on ‘Rolex: is the trademark world it’s Oyster?’. The article written by Sarah Speight looks at how the luxury …

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International trade mark registrations – change to UKIPO handling procedure

News just in As a result of a notice issued at the UK IPO on the 25th January 2023 HGF is strongly advising overseas holders of International registrations that designate …

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Fashionably IP Podcast - Christmas special

The eighth edition of HGF’s Fashionably IP Podcast is our Christmas special! In this podcast we discuss Father Christmas and how if he had been starting out in his toy …

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