In Conversation: Dr Louise Fenton and Artist Paul Cox

Artsfest / Artsfest 2021 / In Conversation: Dr Louise Fenton and Artist Paul Cox

I am an artist, and my name is my own! Why should I bother with a trade mark? Or is it a brand? Are names, trade marks, or brands just another way for lawyers to confuse us?

Trade marks and brands are not the same. The legal rights attached in a brand are protected through trade marks. Trade marks are given over “signs” and they can be words, numbers, logos, colours, shapes, etc. Trade marks, when registered, give their owners several rights against competitors in the market. To start with however, all trade marks must meet certain conditions, in order to be put on the register. The speaker will introduce the audience to the UK TM registration process and the basic rules of “what can be put on the register.”

Dr Metka Potočnik is a Lecturer in Law at the University of Wolverhampton (UK). Her research interests focus on the critical investigation of intellectual property law through a feminist lens; and she has published in the area of intellectual property law, arbitration and foreign direct investment. Her most systemic publication is a research monograph Arbitrating Brands (EE 2019), in which she examines the emerging cross-section between international intellectual property law, foreign direct investment and international arbitration. Dr Potočnik is the Acting Editor in Chief at the Wolverhampton Law Journal and also sits on the Board of Directors of the F-List for Music CIC, which focuses on gender equality in the music industry. Dr Potočnik remains an examiner at University of London, and has previously taught at King’s College London, Queen Mary University London, University College London and University of Surrey.

LGBT+ History Month is a month-long annual celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans,
and non-binary history, including the history of LGBT+ rights and related
civil rights movements.