By Trevor Little, WTR

Whether producing consumer goods, pharmaceuticals or food and consumables, infringement is a fact of life, but one that trademark counsel must tackle more and more, with often limited resources and budgets. But infringement isn’t always as straight forward as the culprits trying to make easy money.

In 2017, TGI Fridays issued a cease and desist letter to a Chicago bar which planned to deck itself out in TGI Fridays garb for Halloween. However, the relatively new bar was being run by ex-PR pros and the infringer’s intentions were to gain publicity from the cease and desist letter that they received.

Leane Stendell told WTR in a recent interview: “This infringer clearly wanted the press they got by infringing on our rights. They were clearly hoping for our cease and desist letter, and clearly hoping to publicise it. It’s happening more and more as people become PR savvy and see it as an opportunity that can work for them.”

WTR’s Managing Trademark Assets Europe will provide a unique platform to hear best practice and insight from leading in-house counsel from the world’s biggest brands. Attendees will take away practical strategies for cost-effectively managing trademark portfolios and winning the battle against infringers.

View the full agenda here