PROTECT YOUR 'ON AIR' IDENTITY - Trade Mark your station name/call sign says The Interactive Law Group

British radio groups advised to register their 'on air' identity/call sign with a trade mark

A dispute has erupted in the Lancashire town of Chorley between two aspiring broadcasting organisations over the use of the name Chorley FM, which is also the name of the fictional radio station in the popular Channel 4 comedy 'Phoenix Nights.'

This is not the first dispute of its type between RSL groups and other licence contenders. Many RSL groups register their company name but this is frequently different from their 'on air' identity or station name.

Izaz Ali from the niche Intellectual Property ('IP') Law firm Lawdit, members of the Interactive Law Group (www.interactive-law.co.uk), advises all radio groups to protect their valuable identities without delay by registering them as trade marks.

"A trade mark is essentially a sign which can distinguish the goods and services of one business from another and this includes signs, logos, pictures or a combination of these" says Izaz Ali.

"Registered Trade Mark protection is probably the most important form of IP protection. The duration of the protection is potentially indefinite; the right will continue to exist provided that the renewal fees are paid every 10 years. Registration of your Logo/ slogan confers a monopoly right on you the owner to use the same. As a business having a registered TM can help in branding your company and the products/ services that you offer. In turn and if the company is successful, this can represent a significant proportion of the assets of the company.

"If your trade mark is not registered you may seek redress through the courts under common law in a 'passing off' action. For this to succeed you must persuade the court, first that the mark used by someone else is associated in the public mind with your own product or service, and secondly that the other person's goods have been mistaken for your own. This can be very costly!"

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For further information contact the Interactive Law Group, e-mail info@interactive-law.co.uk

LINKS:

www.interactive-law.co.uk

www.lawdit.co.uk

www.trademarkroom.com