Introduction
A Briefest of Histories

Further Information:

• The legal issues affecting a new brand name
• The legal issues affecting a new logo
• The legal issues affecting a new design
• Protecting a new brand name or new logo
• Protecting new designs
• Protecting ideas – If such ideas are not inventions, brand names/trade names, logos or designs
(they might be business ideas or theories for example), limited protection might be achieved by
copyright protection. However that will only protect the expression of those ideas rather than the ideas
themselves. Expressing the same ideas in a different way cannot be prevented unless the
circumstances are such that the later version came from someone in whom the original author/creator
confided. If such ideas can be described as ‘confidential information’, that might raise an issue of
breach of confidence which is addressed under the law of confidence. A great deal depends on the
circumstances. If ideas are discussed with potential investors/ manufacturers/ users for the purposes
of investment and /or commercial exploitation, confidentiality agreements can provide a measure of
protection from misappropriation or premature publication. Obtaining specialist professional advice is
recommended in every case.
• A Trade Mark Attorney
• Enforcement
• Defending a trade mark
• Defending other IP rights
• Delimitation of rights
• Licensing
• Franchising
• Exploitation of IP rights
• Exploitation of Intellectual Property rights: raising funds and securitisation
• Intellectual Property Rights as investments
• Acquisition and transfer
• Registration of transactions
• E-commerce and the internet
• Trade Marks and the internet/e-commerce
• Domain names, “ownership” of a name and cyber-squatting
• Disputing domain names
• Websites and e-commerce – legal issues
• Contractual issues in e-commerce
• The legal issues affecting advertising
• Intellectual Property and Insurance
• Intellectual Property and Insolvency

© 2008 Decisis Limited.