Trade Marks... Are They Worth Protecting?

When people talk about their property everyone immediately thinks of it in the sense of bricks and mortar, but in business there is another type which is potentially far more valuable and of interest to financiers, banks and potential investors. This is an intangible asset falling under the heading 'Intellectual Property'. This covers trade marks, patents, designs, copyright and other forms of valuable rights.

We could go into detail about all these types of rights, but for now let's look at one of the most common types, namely trade marks.

In essence, a trade mark (brand name) can be anything, which distinguishes your business from those of other traders. The most common are word or combination of words and logos. However, it could also be the shape of your products or their packaging, a slogan or musical tune used in advertising and promotion, like the direct line jingle. Less common and harder