Organisation: IBM

Having previously confirmed the pricing structure for submissions to the Trademark Clearinghouse, ICANN has now announced a ‘go live’ date for later this month. With the organisation aiming to recommend the first gTLDs for delegation next month, trademark owners should not put off reviewing their online protection strategies.

26 February 2013

Taiwanese personal computer manufacturer Acer stated yesterday that it would book a NT$3.5 billion (US$120.6 million) impairment charge relating to trademark rights, including marks it acquired from its takeovers of Gateway, Packard Bell and E-TEN. The world’s fourth-largest PC vendor has seen a negative impact on its stock price as a result. But from a wider perspective, is it really such a big deal that the book value of the acquired trademark rights has depreciated?

23 January 2013

Last week it was reported that Chinese personal computer manufacturer Lenovo is planning to reorganise its product offering into two distinct brands – with one aimed at home users shopping at the more affordable end of the spectrum and a separate identity for high-end business consumers. The goal is to gain a larger global market share. For brand owners, a number of lessons can be learned from such two-pronged marketing strategies.

10 January 2013

At last month’s ICANN meeting in Toronto, discussion of the likely costs associated with the Trademark Clearinghouse was limited, with concern expressed by corporates about their ability to budget for 2013. However, ICANN president and CEO Fadi Chehadé has now revealed that trademark submission fees will be capped at $150 per mark.

27 November 2012

Last week, Louis Vuitton exhibited a new line of clothing that lacks the company’s iconic logo. This may partly be in response to changing consumer pattterns for luxury goods in China, where some well-to-do consumers are eschewing larger high-end brands in favour of smaller and less well-known boutique designers. But the decision to go logoless is not one to be taken lightly.

12 October 2012

Brand owners have been urged to make their voices heard over new proposals regarding the running of the Trademark Clearinghouse for the rollout of new gTLDs, with a week remaining to shape the debate. However, will ICANN be willing to change tact at this late date?

09 October 2012

Even before most attendees arrived in Prague for this week’s ICANN meeting, the organisation was again grabbing headlines - with staff changes at the top and the suspension of the digital archery batching system due to “technical concerns”.

24 June 2012

ICANN has revealed that it is working with Deloitte and IBM to implement the various Trademark Clearinghouse services. The news coincides with the release of a new study suggesting some trademark counsel are still ill-prepared for the online expansion. For those who do want to keep up with their reading, a new version of the applicant guidebook was published today.

05 June 2012

While the dispute over the IPAD trademark continues in China, Apple’s brand marches on. In the latest Brand Finance Global 500 rankings, Apple has leapfrogged Google to be named as the world’s most valuable brand, achieving the highest ever valuation calculated by Brand Finance.

10 April 2012

Pinterest, one of the fastest growing social media websites, is grabbing headlines internationally. Yet while some major brands are taking advantage of the opportunity to engage with consumers through this image-led site, there are some notable exceptions.

08 March 2012