intellectual property - trademarks...

[gussiegrips]

It's fanny parties R Us again (am trying to make a new way of teaching women about their exercises - using my stand up comedy hobby and my physio background to make it funny and hope to reduced the 1:3 of us who pish ourselves when we laugh. Oh, and earn some cash along the way)

Things are all encouraging for Gusset grippers, am delighted to report.

Truly, I'm feeling proper chuffed with myself.

I blagged a feature in my professional magazine and that's brought in a bunch of physios who are interested in what I'm doing. Splendid.

Interestingly, at a party last night where there were four physios in the group - they asked me where I got the franchise from...

Each of them thought I'd bought into something, rather than the obvious conclusion that only one lunatic would do something so daft.

...one of the other guests said she works in trademarks/marketing and that I should get registered pronto.

Uhm, ok.

So, do I just see a TM lawyer? And spend £300? And, that's it?

Anyhoo, I think it's worth doing - I'm speaking at a midwive's conference...and, have my kacking-myself-with-nerves meeting with the proper business who are looking for a comedian to launch their product on Monday....

gulp.

So. Any of you done any trademarking? Comments? Advice? Jeezo, am out my depth...

TIA

I'd start by looking here: www.ipo.gov.uk

Not a TM lawyer a TM attorney, solicitors will not help you. Message me I can give you a good one. Where do you live ?

Actually, you can use a solicitor or a trade mark attorney or even apply yourself (Sorry wobblypig, but I know some good lawyers that deal with trade mark registrations).

Any who, what I did want to say is that the £300 you mention is really just the filing fees payable to the UK Intellectual Property Office. By the time you add on professional fees (either solicitor or TM attorney) you probably need to budget a total cost in the region of £1500 to £2000, possibly more if the application is contested.

You can apply to register just text, or just a logo, or text and logo. The important point is that you choose something distinctive. Do some internet searches and make sure there isn't anyone else already using your name. You can also search existing trade marks from the IPO website that CheeseStrawWars refers to above. Go into "online services" then "search trade marks" then "search by mark text" and type in your chosed words. The more unique your mark, the more likely it is that the registration will be acceptable.

Finally, if you do put in an application, only ever pay any fees to the UK IPO or your solicitor/TM attorney. There are loads of scams around that send official looking invoices but are nothing at all to do with the official UK IPO.

Good luck!

Solicitors who actually have a business head on when dealing with trademarks are very rare. A patent TM firm are your best bet IMO.

thanks, guys.

I did think that £300 sounded a bit bargainous.

Also, having read up on the links (thanks, Cheese) I'm not convinced I actually have anything to protect...

It's a concept, not a product. And, it's a concept that you need a particular set of skills to deliver - and, to be frank, I'm probably the only person with that set of happenstance.

So, given that the finances are in their infancy and that I need to fund some logo/web/Fringe show - I'm thinking, it's not really a necessity just now.

Sigh. This learning curve is awfully steep, no?

thanks for the advice, that's been really, really useful.
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