With budgets under constant pressure, canny management of the trademark function and costs is paramount. However, doing more with less is possible.
• Cost-conscious planning: how not to sacrifice quality in trademark operations
• Maintaining global coverage without cutting corners
• Communicating the trademark message to the business
The days of the boilerplate cease and desist letter are long gone, with ethical considerations now central to decision making on enforcement approaches. However, the clever response is not always the correct one.
• Ethical and creative versus zero tolerance: which is the right response?
• Don’t go it alone: obtaining business buy-in for creative responses
• Online messaging and brand reputation repair when disputes go viral
The threat from counterfeits, and the savviness of infringers, is constantly evolving, meaning that brand protection professionals need to constantly evolve their tactics, recruit new allies, and—crucially—ensure ROI on enforcement efforts.
• Building an enforcement network: from Customs to investigators
• Cost control does not mean sacrificing results: juggling finite budgets
• Choosing the right enforcement option in the right venue to achieve the right result
Even the most careful strategic planning can be undermined by events in the political and economic spheres—meaning that counsel need to prepare for the unexpected and unknown, position the business for success, and identify opportunity in potentially adverse circumstances.
• Coverage conundrums: juggling business and legal concerns
• Building in brand protection across the supply chain
• Preparing for the unexpected: managing political risks
While often viewed as a cost center, in reality the trademark function plays a key role in brand building and monetization. The key is to identify revenue opportunities and ensure that stakeholders across the business recognize the tangible value that their legal colleagues create.
• Building brand value and identifying revenue opportunities
• To license or not to license: risk versus reward
• Turning the trademark department into a profit center