| Reputation Management is at its basic concept, the | | | | member countries. |
| simple process of being aware and taking control of | | | | 5 Step Process for IPO Reputation Management |
| how you, your business or the brands and IPO you | | | | 1) Make application online. You will need to select |
| control are perceived. Increasingly it is predominantly | | | | a "Class" this is effectively a category/sector for your |
| the online outlets, websites, news stories and social | | | | industry. In some instances you may be more than one |
| media that present the most dangers. A positive or | | | | class. E.g. The Cola Company (with the red can) as |
| negative story in the Times or even a local paper will | | | | you will see from this application they have registered |
| be processed through several stages of fact checking | | | | the mark for 3 classes as they all apply to their |
| and even legal verification before being printed. | | | | business. |
| Online publishers can range from online versions of | | | | 2) The application itself will cost £200 with an |
| credible source such as the Times and BBC, to the | | | | additional cost for each and every class of £50. |
| lower end of credibility: one solitary disgruntled | | | | 3) Investigations will then take place to see if your |
| employee or disgruntled customer hell-bent on | | | | application is the same or similar to any existing marks. |
| destroying your reputation. | | | | If they are you will receive a report from the IPO |
| It is in the areas of detection that many reputation | | | | office informing you of this fact. You will be given the |
| monitoring tools have come to the market to allow | | | | option to present your case. In many cases similar |
| users to monitor the expanse that is the internet, for | | | | marks are registered as they contain common words, |
| such reputation risks. | | | | but may not be in anyway confusable with the mark |
| However, what many businesses fail to do is take | | | | you wish to register. The case office will then either |
| adequate preventative measures to ensure that they | | | | notify the holder of a similar mark/ allow then to |
| can defend their name or brand. | | | | dispute it/proceed to publication. |
| £250 to Save Your Brand | | | | 4) The mark will be published publicly for 8 |
| UK Individuals or businesses can secure both the | | | | weeks allowing the public to object should they feel |
| written (text version) and any graphical logo or artwork | | | | they have grounds to do so. |
| using the Intellectual Property Office. . Once protected, | | | | 5) After this period, assuming that no objection |
| crucially the owner of these marks will then have | | | | has been received the mark is granted and you will |
| grounds stop them being used without their permission. | | | | receive the trade mark certificate within a matter of |
| For example if a competitor wished to produce a | | | | week. ( IPO office state that up to 4 month however |
| comparison of their service and yours, had your brand | | | | our own experience is much less than this, around 1 |
| been trade marked as text and the logo they would | | | | month) |
| be unable to publish them without your permission. | | | | Finally once the mark is protected, you need to be |
| The process of securing IPO can be a little intimidating | | | | willing to defend it or perhaps even licence or sell it. |
| but that need not be the case. Application can now be | | | | You can get legal advice, from The Institute of Trade |
| made online and any UK applications made will involve | | | | mark Attorneys (ITMA) , The Chartered Institute of |
| a search of TM throughout not just the UK but EU | | | | Patent Attorneys (CIPA) or The Law Society. |