|
|||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||
World Intellectual Property Review
Levi Strauss & Co., Starbucks and Hard Rock International are leaders in their respective fields. As such, they are vulnerable to imitation, whether by those who want to create the illusion of a legitimate association with the brands, or by those who simply wish to steal ideas, logos and designs. We interview the people who protect the trademark portfolios at all three companies, and take an overview of their strategies. One thing that emerges is that however excellent a company’s trademark protection programme is, it can never be foolproof. In some instances, trademark holders, or patent owners for that matter, may find that despite their best efforts, they don’t have the resources or expertise to track down infringement. At other times, companies might want to make discreet enquiries about others’ IP, perhaps because they want to launch a rival product. If this is the case, it may be time to hire an IP investigator. While not quite modern-day Philip Marlowes, private IP investigators can do things that law firms or IP-owning companies have neither the time, resources nor inclination to do. Whether it’s posing as a student to get information about a product or setting up dummy companies to gather information, IP investigators can be a real asset. We talk to some of the major players and find out what they offer. We also continue our interviews with some of the most important people on the regulatory side of IP. We talk to David Kappos about his efforts to transform the US Patent and Trademark Office into an “innovation agency”, following last month’s interview with Francis Gurry, head of the World Intellectual Property Organization. All this alongside our regular jurisdiction reports, and features from experts across the world about new challenges, new cases and new business models. Click here to view the issue or click below to read our latest Annual Reviews for FREE |
|||||||||||||||
|
