If a trademark monitoring service notifies me of a similar trademark application, how much time do I have to respond?

Numerous entrepreneurs could start their story with the words “inspired by life” and Tom Revill, the founder of Plank hardware, is certainly one of them. “Plank Hardware all started with a few planks of wood and a new flat. We found that finding the right hardware at a reasonable price wasn’t so easy. We were so happy with the final pieces that we started making and selling them to friends, family and online. As a start-up, we’ve invested everything into our products and building our brand, so protecting that is really important to us.”

“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.

Taking a creative spin on an already established and renown brand may seem as a good strategy for devising a name for a startup company but it may backfire. This article summarises one of the contemporary cases in this area, revealing that Airbnb’s trademark protects the company against unexpected threats.