In this article, Joseph Letang, Partner in the Dehns Trade Marks Group, warns against claiming rights in descriptive terms.
READ MOREJoseph is a Partner in our Trade Mark Group and is a UK Chartered Trade Mark Attorney.
Having obtained an Honours degree in Law, Joseph joined the firm in 1998 and became a partner in 2009. Immediately prior to joining the firm Joseph spent two years working for a specialist firm of Trade Mark Attorneys where he trained under the then president of the Chartered Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys.
Joseph is Lead Partner of the Dehns “Equality, Diversity and Inclusion” (EDI) Group.
Joseph has experience prosecuting trade mark applications in the EU (EUTM), UK and worldwide in all areas of industry for small businesses, multi-national corporations and solicitors with clients who need specialist assistance with trade marks. In addition to obtaining trade mark registrations, including filing applications and dealing with any related official objections/oppositions, Joseph advises on searching and clearing trade marks for use, registrability, infringement, passing off and domain name disputes.
Based in our Brighton office, Joseph regularly assists regional SME clients with various trade mark matters. He also manages global client portfolios in the fields of cosmetics, entertainment, restaurants and engineering.
LLB Hons, University of Wolverhampton, Law, 1988
Joseph is highlighted as a recommended trade mark attorney in the leading legal and IP directories. This has included:
Joseph is a former elected member of the General Council of Chartered Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys (CITMA), where he represented CITMA at UK business conferences, small business advice days and at the annual International Trade Mark Association (INTA) conference in the US. Joseph currently assists CITMA in providing pro-bono advice to SME businesses at CITMA’s regular clinics.
He has been published more than once in a Q&A section in the Financial Times on trade marks, and was also published in relation to Madrid Protocol filings in the trade journal ‘Trademark World’.
As Lead Partner in the firm’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) group, Joseph plays a significant role in developing and implementing firm-wide EDI policy and initiatives.
Watch the video below to see how Joseph worked with the Ace Cafe brand. Over the last ten years, the Ace Cafe brand has gone global, and Joseph has worked with them to help build, grow and protect their UK and overseas IP portfolio.
Joseph will be attending the INTA Annual Meeting in Singapore from 16th – 20th May. Please contact him if you’d like to arrange a meeting.
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