Trade Mark Lessons From The Smiths

Johnny Marr has issued a statement in response to Morrissey's claim that he has registered THE SMITHS trade mark without his permission. It appears from the statement that in fact an agreement was made between the parties and a document awaits execution by Morrissey that would see Marr and Morrissey own the registration jointly.

It is always interesting when stories like this arise because I am genuinely surprised that The Smiths trade mark was not protected via trade mark registration in the UK a lot earlier that the filing date of 2018. If you are a brand owner that is yet to consider the legal issues associated with the use and protection of your brand then it is important to do so in order to avoid some common pitfalls and to ensure you are in a good position to prevent infringing use.