We are a Chinese company and want to register our trademark in the EU. Is it possible?

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.

Cases of multinational companies putting claims against much smaller businesses are far from uncommon, but their result is almost always the same - an absolute PR nightmare for the corporate giants. Oatly AB, a leading plant-based dairy alternatives producer, is amongst the companies that have fallen under public scrutiny after their overly aggressive trademark enforcement actions.

“Our continual drive for excellence made us the best selling durag brand in the UK. Last year, we began trading on Amazon and found the marketplace to have a handful of rogue sellers who attempted to tarnish others’ brand reputation. This issue was quickly dealt with after trademark certifications were provided to Amazon.” Read the full story of Alvin Mills, the founder of ShyneDurags, who continues in his goal to create the #1 online destination for afro hair care.