Company:   The Gamrie Goat, which produces and sells hand made goat’s milk soaps Trade Mark Issue Founder of The Gamrie Goat, Christine Ralph, found another company using the US version of her internet domain name and so applied to register her trade mark through  Trade Mark Direct .  Once the trade mark was pending she contacted the US company and reclaimed her internet domain name. Background Christine Ralph is the entrepreneur behind The Gamrie Goat, which produces ethical soaps made from goat’s milk.  Christine makes the soap from milk from the goats living on her family croft in Gamrie, Aberdeenshire. Christine wasn’t concerned about her business’ identity as she never thought for one moment that someone would want to copy her small, uniquely named business. In 2008 Christine found another goat’s milk soap company had been using photos from her website, she complained to the web hosting company who took the rather drastic measure of taking down her competitor’s website.  This co

  When Susan Ma, one of 2011's ‘Apprentice’ hopefuls, trade marked her skincare company’s name before the programme started, she was preparing for a surge of interest and protecting her valuable intellectual properly. While this is a good step, our advice would always be to trade mark your product name or brand from day one, not four years later like Susan. Why do I need a trade mark?   Without a registered trade mark your competitors will find it easier to use your name for similar goods or can even apply to register it themselves and stop you using it.  Also, once you have already begun trading and built up some good will in your name, it will be more costly and onerous to discover then that your name cannot be protected as a registered trade mark and that you should re-brand your business. A registered trade mark will also allow you to bring an action for trade mark infringement against anyone trying to use your name for similar goods. This is important as it is notoriously diff

 85% of small firms are failing to keep their ideas secure said a recent survey by the Intellectual Property Office [1] .  A business can stand or fall by its name and logo. A good trademark adds to a brand's value, making it stand out from its competitors. Don’t Delay  It is essential to protect your brand from day one.  Too many businesses put it off until it is too late and someone else has already registered the company or product name they have been using.  They then have to rebrand and start trading under a new name, which can be a very costly process. Don’t just register your company or product name with Companies House as this does not give you any trade mark protection, nor does owning the website address.  You need to register your name and logo with the Intellectual Property Office. The Value of Your Brand Name Even if your product isn’t an international sensation (yet), the name it is registered under as a trade mark could become incredibly valuable if a competitor want

  Visit us at Business Startup Show 17-18 November  2011 Earls Court 2 ,London   Business & IP Centre  (STAND 412) Trademark Direct is exhibiting at Business Start up show(17-18 November) so come and visit us at stand 412  and explore how you can use easy Trade Mark registration from under £500.