Trade marks and the Big Chill

How is the big economic chill affecting you?  While no-one is completely immune from the fall-out from the recent (we hope, temporary) collapse of the world's financial and trading order, the position of trade mark practitioners and their clients is particularly sensitive.  

Right: felines have their fur to keep out the chill, but most brand owners are not so lucky.

Brands are potentially eternal, but brand owners can't wait forever for business to pick up and it's sometimes necessary to make tough decisions. Trade mark portfolios get thinned out, existing poorly-performing licensees may be targeted for weeding out, the insolvency of licensors and licensees may undermine commercial expectations and the sale of trade mark rights separately from the business to which they were originally attached can prove hazardous too.

For this reason the IPKat is pleased to announce that he has been involving himself in "Trade Marks and the Downturn", a timely seminar which is to be held in Central London on Tuesday 17 February 2009 in conjunction with Hardwicke Building.  The programme runs from 11am to 3pm, with a break for lunch.  The speakers are Larry Cohen, Neil Wilkof, Stephen Reese and Mark Engelman, with IPKat team member Jeremy being a proactive and possibly provocative chairman.  The cost of the entire event, for which 3 CPD points are available, is just £50 plus VAT per person.  As a special treat, the first five in-house registrants can register for free.  You can get the full programme and registration details here.