Another company is using my brand in their Google Ads, what should I do?

One of the most common reasons for trademark disputes has to do with the perceived similarity between existing trademarks. The two trademarks are considered “similar” if they share common characteristics connected to their appearance, sound, meaning and commercial impression, and if they are used for related goods or services. This is seen as a problem from brand perspective because the consumers might believe that the owners of the two trademarks are related, affiliated, connected, or that the goods or services originate from the same source.

In 2021, the IPO received a record 196,639 trade mark applications, a 43.5% increase from 2020 which was the previous record year for trade mark applications [1]. Both the number of applications and trade marks registered have been consistently rising since 2011. As the numbers continue to grow in 2022 we can observe a number of trends that continue to influence the world of IP rights.

Moët & Chandon, Dom Pérignon, Laurent-Perrier and other world-class producers of champagne can no longer use this term to label their products in Russia. The new law passed on 2 July 2021 has caused a considerable upheaval among champagne producers but also consumers. Our legal team has taken a closer look into this dynamics of using geographical indicators.