Alt Legal Webinar Two Nations Divided by a Common Language: Similarities and Dissimilarities in UK and US Trade Marks
Alt Legal Team | October 05, 2021
This webinar was recorded on October 14, 2021.
Trade mark practice in the UK may initially appear similar to that of the United States given the shared language, but while similarities do exist, there are also very real differences in law and procedure. In this webinar, hosted by Alt Legal and Meritas, Colin Sawdy of Meritas member law firm, Howard Kennedy LLP (England and Wales, UK) will provide a comparison of the two systems and highlight where US practitioners will need to be aware of key differences in UK practice. The discussion will focus on the following topics:
- Developing a filing strategy for the US and UK
- Anticipating possible objections in the UK with regard to descriptiveness and specifications
- Handling opposition actions and tips for achieving a beneficial outcome
- Managing client portfolios in light of Brexit
Watch recording here (registration required).
You can download all of the webinar materials here.
Resources:
- This article from Alt Legal explains the difference between the Principal and Supplemental registers.
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Here’s an overview from Alt Legal of Brexit’s impact on US trademarks.
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For more about Failure to Function, check out this article from Alt Legal.
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Here’s an article from Alt Legal about how to demonstrate acquired distinctiveness.
- To hear about the TMA, including how the flexible OA response time will change that, sign up for our next webinar, “Acting on the Trademark Modernization Act: How the implementation of the TMA will affect your practice.”
- This article from Alt Legal explains consent agreements.
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To learn about registrations in other countries, make sure to watch this recording from Alt Legal Connect, where Lydia Gobena talked about filing and use requirements and more. Use the code “webinar” for a discount.
Speaker Bio:
Colin Sawdy, Partner, Howard Kennedy
Colin Sawdy’s practice focuses on international trade mark and design clearance, prosecution and portfolio management. He manages the filing and defence of opposition, revocation and invalidity actions, as well as negotiates settlements and coexistence agreements. Colin regularly enforces clients’ rights by way of dispute resolution and coordinating litigation in the UK and abroad. He is experienced in anti-counterfeiting matters and advises on, as well as drafts, intellectual property commercial agreements. Colin also assists clients with regard to copyright and domain name matters, ranging from securing the protection of such rights through to their commercialisation and enforcement against infringing third parties. As a dual-qualified UK solicitor and US attorney at law, Colin provides strategic advice to clients seeking to protect intellectual property rights internationally.