Trade Marks

We advise some of the most valuable multinational brands on the development of offensive and defensive trade mark strategies.

Our trade mark professionals work as an integrated team: no matter where you are or where you need support, there is always someone with the right blend of local experience and industry knowledge to meet your needs. Many of our trade mark professionals have both in-house and private practice experience. We see this as a major advantage.

By working in client teams, we are able to effectively manage your portfolio such that one or more contact person is available to you at all times.

Trade Mark Creation & Management

Our business has its roots in trade mark services, and we are widely recognised as one of the leading trade mark firms in the world. Our client base includes some of the world’s most well-known brands.

Trade marks are the face of your business – a highly visible way to distinguish your products and services, as well as a mark of quality. Choosing where, and when to register these marks requires knowledge of the nuances of local jurisdictions and strategic insight into your business.

Our team provides the full range of trade mark management services, from devising the right trade mark searching, filing and opposition strategy through to managing renewals and general maintenance.

Searching and Watching

We will design an appropriate trade mark searching and watching strategy for you, incorporating your own processes to ensure a streamlined service.

Carrying out appropriate clearance searches before launching a new brand or an existing brand in a new territory is vital. It flags up any conflicting prior rights that could prevent you from using and registering your brand and reduces the risk of unintentionally infringing an existing right or having to rebrand products or services after a costly infringement action.

Watching, is now more important than ever, given that a number of intellectual property offices no longer prevent a later mark from progressing to registration based on an earlier right. The onus is on the owner of the earlier right to take appropriate action. This often leads to oppositions, so a cost effective and reliable watching service is now an essential element of trade mark portfolio management.

Portfolio Management

We take the time to understand your business. We link your trade mark filing, prosecution, enforcement, and maintenance services to your commercial objectives, ensuring the decisions you make are in line with your growth plans. We will ensure that your business has the correct trade mark assignments and licensing agreements in place of your circumstances, preventing your business and its brand from being compromised.

We use internationally recognised web-based systems to ensure that your portfolio is fully visible to you. A tried and tested tool used by law firms and Fortune 500 companies around the world to keep your docket up-to-date and accessible. Not only does the system keep an up-to-date record of your portfolio, it also acts as a docketing system and forum for the storage of key documents.

Leveraging Trade Marks

The commercialisation of your trade mark portfolio can open up a rich stream of alternative revenue.

Once you have a strong management program in place and actively enforce your portfolio, it is time to consider leveraging your assets.

With our help, you can turn them into income generators in their own right, whether through licensing or strategic acquisition and disposal.

Asset Management and Commercialisation

We provide a full range of commercial trade mark services, including assignment, licensing, distribution, and coexistence agreements, as well as publishing, sponsorship and digital content agreements (including app and software development agreements), artist and personality rights agreements, performer’s agreements and moral rights waivers.

We can also provide you with our template agreements for use by your in-house counsel if needed, keeping external costs to a minimum.

Domain Names

Our experts can advise you on all aspects of online IP strategy and the protection and recovery of domain names. We work proactively with ICANN and our team includes ICANN arbitrators who are experienced in determining domain name disputes.

Our evidence gathering services enable us to carry out domain registration surveillance and the undercover purchases of domains. We also work closely with external internet monitoring companies and internet service providers to ensure the swift removal of problem content.

We will advise you on online trade mark infringement or the posting of offensive content, taking action on your behalf.

If someone is infringing your domain name, we will act to recover those names for you, either transferring or cancelling them.

Climate Change & Practice

Climate Change is no longer a buzz word, it's a worldwide and daily reality we cannot ignore. Regulations on global warming are quickly reshaping the business and IP landscape. As one of the first firms to practice IP with Climate Change, Rouse is at the forefront of this emerging area. Our multi-disciplinary team is composed of Climate Change attorneys, patent agents and engineers in energy and waste management.

We help our clients navigate the evolving world of Climate Change legislation and unlock opportunities in an increasingly carbon-constrained economy by focusing on six major aspects of Climate Change. For more information, please contact the Climate Change Group.