Trademark Dilution

This text is concerned with trademark dilution. It should be of interest to specialist intellectual property solicitors and barristers, trade mark attorneys and agents working both in-house and in private practice, as well as patent attorneys and agents.

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What remedy does a car manufacturer have to prevent the use of its trade mark for cosmetics, confectionery, office furniture, or any one of a number of dissimilar uses? Except in cases of public deception, the answer was none until the doctrine of trade mark dilution was first introduced into English law and into much of Europe with the advent of the Trade Marks Act 1994 and the EC Trade Marks Directive. This doctrine, 'misunderstood, misconstrued, and misapplied' since it was introduced into American law nearly 70 years ago, exists to prevent one trader taking unfair advantage of the name or mark, usually well established, of one business and using it for the exploitation of goods in areas in which the well-known trader is not presently active. This controversial and complex area of law is now of very considerable interest to lawyers, trade mark and patent agents and their business clients throughout the European Union where specific anti-dilution provisions have been widely introduced.
Its appearence is timely given the uncertainty about the relevant provisions of the Trade Marks Act 1994 and there can be no doubt that practitioners in the field will be eager to buy and read this book.