Celebrating 20 Years of IP Excellence

Importance of IP For Start-ups and Entrepreneurs (Part X): Checklist for Start-ups

Importance of IP For Start-ups and Entrepreneurs (Part X): Checklist for Start-ups

These are some basic questions VCs and Investors ask before investing in a start-up. What is the value of Intellectual Property (IP) for the start-up's business, revenues and competitive advantage in the market? Is the start up IP driven? How strong is the start-up’s IP portfolio when compared with its competitors? Is the IP ownership clear, and are all link documents in place? Will the IP Portfolio help in retaining revenues, and opening new revenue opportunities? Is the start-up’s IP…

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Importance of IP for Start-ups and Entrepreneurs (Part II): Trademarks

Importance of IP for Start-ups and Entrepreneurs (Part II): Trademarks

Choosing the right name/business representation word, logo, device or any other form of business representation is generally the first asset created by an entrepreneur, Often, entrepreneurs finalize on a name or logo and develop strong emotional attachment to it without proper research. While it is important to be passionate about the business and its representation, every entrepreneur must take the following steps before finalizing on a business representation: Ensure that the name, logo or any other representation shortlisted is capable…

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This image depicts the Google logo with a magnifying glass over it. The post is about the recent debate that has been sparked as Google made the announcement that it would be using the house mark “ ALPHABET” for its holding company . Click on the image to read the full post.

Will ALPHABET get Google into Trademark Trouble?

Google's announcement that it would be using the house mark “ALPHABET” for its holding company sparked off a series of debates about trademark implications of using the said word. While numerous companies operate under the name "ALPHABET" as a part of their name, the leader of these companies seems to be BMW. BMW's representative has stated that Alphabet, a fleet services company operated by BMW is an important part of its business, and that BMW is considering the issue at…

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The featured image is of the Lion Capital which consists of the Ashoka Chakra, with a horse and bull on either sides, and an hoisted Indian flag below it. The Lion Capital is the national emblem of India. The image is related to the post as it is a part of the Sinapse Series"Intellectual Property (IP) in India: A Decade of Progress". To read the post click here.

Intellectual Property (IP) in India: A Decade of Progress Part 1

This post gives trade mark statistics for the last decade. Trademark applications are filed to register a trademark with a national or regional Intellectual Property (IP) office.A 2011 report showed that the five countries filing the most trademarks were China, USA, India, Brazil and South Korea. The statistics revealed a major shift in the preference of multinational brand owners towards emerging markets, evidenced by the change in the composition of the top 10 countries with the most number of published trademarks, from 2012 to 2013…

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image for Lionsgate Sues Ameritrade for using 'Dirty Dancing' Dialogue

Lionsgate sues Ameritrade for using ‘Dirty Dancing’ dialogue

All of us at some point have watched and loved the film “Dirty Dancing”. The film is legendary for different reasons- the impeccable dance routines, the star-crossed lovers theme, Patrick Swayze and the dialogues, which are quoted, spoofed and now being used for ad campaigns. TD Ameritrade (‘Ameritrade’ for brevity) through its ad company Havas ran an advertisement of a man lifting a piggy bank over the tagline "Nobody puts your old 401(k) in the corner”, clearly spoofing the most…

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Featured image is of EDM D.J. Joel Zimmerman a.k.a. DeadMau5 performing as the post is about his famous Mau5 ears and the trademark dispute with Disney. To read the post click here.

Disney finally dances to Deadmau5’s tune

Deadmau5   the Canadian progressive-house music producer who made his first tour of India last year had found himself in a trademark battle with the most loved mouse of all time, Mickey Mouse the well known cartoon character and the proud mascot of Disney.  The root of Deadmau5 - real name Joel Zimmerman's troubles was literally sitting on his head, his iconic Mau5head which he regularly wears during all his performances around the world. The Walt Disney Company Disney is fiercely  protective of…

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Featured image of peps Spine guard mattress is used, as the post is about a trademark issue related to this. To read the post click here.

Peps Industries Vs. Shakti Mattresses & Gears

  The Delhi High Court has passed an ex-parte interim injunction against Shakti Mattresses & Gears Pvt. Ltd. on 29th May 2015, to restrain from dealing in the goods and services, under the mark ‘SPINE GUARD’, which is a registered trademark of the plaintiff, Peps Industries Pvt. Ltd. To briefly state the facts, the Plaintiff, Peps Industries Pvt. Ltd., is engaged in the business of manufacturing, marketing and sale of sleep comfort products such as mattresses, pillows, cushions, sofas, beds and…

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