Organisation: Forbes

A passionate debate has erupted over the publication of brand valuation ranking tables. We brought two of the most high-profile parties together to state their cases and gave each an opportunity to respond. The result is thought provoking and, unsurprisingly, heated

01 November 2017

Over the past few days media reports have focused on the case of an individual seller who saw his Amazon.com store shut down over an alleged IP-related violation lodged by a bogus law firm.

12 September 2017

As more brands expand and globalise, the management of trademark portfolios is becoming increasingly challenging. With a large and complex portfolio to handle, Microsoft is addressing this issue head on

01 May 2017

<i>World Trademark Review</i> has covered the topic of counterfeiting for over 15 years, but it is only in the past year or so that the illicit trade in IP-infringing fakes seems to have become a topic of regular interest for the wider media. Last week, the <i>New York Times</i> delved into the subject, but in doing so it provoked the ire of e-commerce giant Alibaba.

20 March 2017

When it comes to the availability of counterfeit goods, the size of the task facing e-commerce sites cannot be understated. However, reports of Amazon’s ‘investigations-per-hour’ approach to anti-counterfeiting has led to claims that quality in decision-making is suffering.

26 January 2017

In a year dominated by divisive political events, brands often featured in fast-moving campaigns and election cycles – whether intentionally or otherwise. Careful risk management and a clear communications strategy are crucial to survive the political circus unscathed

01 January 2017

Skewed coverage of trademarks in the mainstream media is translating into public confusion at best and heightened hostility towards intellectual property at worst. We investigate the extent of the problem and consider what stakeholders can do to redress the balance

01 March 2016

The results of Alibaba’s latest Singles’ Day promotion show that major international brands played a more prominent role than ever in the company’s flagship sales event. This growing influence of major trademark holders as Alibaba stakeholders could play a positive role in spurring on the platform’s ongoing trademark enforcement efforts.

17 November 2015

New research reveals that a majority of consumers have difficulty telling paid from unpaid content in the native advertising environment. For trademark counsel – particularly those involved in advertising clearance activities – the ongoing debate over consumer deception is one to follow.

29 September 2015

This week Donuts, the largest registry for new gTLDs, unveiled its first advertising campaign, aimed at spreading the new gTLD gospel to small businesses in the US. While unlikely to be the turning point in terms of wider public awareness of new gTLDs, the campaign will do no harm in spreading the gTLD message and will be welcomed by registrars. It is also a development worth noting by brand owners.

18 March 2015