Businesses invest a large amount of time and money in developing and marketing a product or service, and understandably want the public to recognise it as being theirs and theirs alone.Trade marks allow a person or business to indicate the origin of their goods and/or services, whilst helping to distinguish their business from those of third parties.FACT – A trade mark can take a number of forms, including words, logos or more unconventional indicators of trade origin such as smells, sounds or even multimedia marks.Here are our Top Trade Mark Tips highlighting the benefits of protecting your IP!It secures for the owner exclusive rights in the trade mark in relation to the goods/services for which it is registered.A trade mark registration entitles the owner to use the ® symbol. This puts third parties on notice that using the mark may constitute an infringement.It provides the owner with rights and remedies to stop competitors infringing the trade mark, i.e. utilising an identical or similar mark within the same sector. The remedies available include a permanent injunction to stop the infringing use, destruction of the infringing goods and packaging, damages or an account of profits, and payment of legal fees.It acts as a deterrent to third parties wishing to adopt identical/similar trade marks.It provides authorities with the required ammunition to bring action against counterfeiters.It adds value to your business. The wealth of some of the world’s largest and most successful companies lies in their trade marks.Once registered, the trade mark becomes intangible property and can be licensed, franchised or assigned; thereby potentially generating revenue.Our trade mark team has a wealth of experience across a number of sectors. The team will be able to help you with everything from registering your trade mark, through to anti-counterfeiting, watching services and maximising the commercial output of your trade mark.Click for more information about our trade marks services and to meet our trade mark team.