Cambridge news informs: "A Cambridge law firm says businesses could lose protection of their trademarks after Britain voted to leave the European Union. The Brexit vote plunges UK trade mark law into uncharted territory, potentially affecting thousands of UK businesses' if they rely on a European Union Trade Mark (EUTM) for brand protection in the UK. Last year, 12,527 British companies registered EU trade marks, the UK the second-largest EU member country to do so, at an estimated cost of €10.6m (£8m).
Now that the UK has voted to leave, British businesses will need to re-asses their trade marks. Though there will likely be some transitional negotiations to ensure that existing trade mark rights are not lost, once the UK is no longer an EU member state, an EUTM will no longer cover businesses in the UK, and the UK will not be part of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) system. In the short-term, it will be important for UK business' to review their current trade mark portfolios to ensure they understand the scope of registered trade mark protection they have and in which territories. Business owners wishing to protect their trade marks in the UK will need to ensure they have protection by way of a UK national registration, rather than relying on the EUTM."
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