Law Direct, the online service set up jointly by
RMGroup and Butterworths, has been expanded with a new
Trade Mark Search facility. This new service gives users
access to UK and EU trade mark information. In addition,
a worldwide trade mark search and registration service
and a monitoring service for registered and unregistered
marks are offered.
Trade mark searches can include images, logos,
devices or shapes. A key feature is phonetic matching,
considered a must before adopting a new trade mark or
company name.
Under the Madrid Protocol (1996), individuals and
companies in the UK can file trade marks in several
countries. The new service also covers searches of all
Madrid Protocol countries.
The RM Group says that the search facility will
provide users with instant low-cost (starting at £3.50
per name) access, and reduce the time and expense of
developing a mark that has already been registered. A
search can produce effective results in five minutes,
compared with a traditional search, which could take up
to five days.
