Case studies

For a brand that is literally stitched into its products, protecting the name InStitchu was an early consideration for Founders, Robin McGowan and James Wakefield. They knew they’d come up with a unique name and business strategy, so they wanted to invest in it and gain ownership quickly.

Malcolm Mabo wanted to use his surname for a new clothing business. However, Mabo is no ordinary name. His father, Eddie 'Koiki' Mabo, led the landmark High Court case for native title in Australia.

The Mabo brand is made from Malcolm's surname and symbols from his traditional community. He applied for a trade mark to protect his brand.

In China, the Chinese language version of your brand can be just as important as the English language version, as wine maker Penfolds discovered.

Penfolds was, until recently, locked in a protracted legal dispute with a businessman who registered the company’s Chinese name before it did.

When Tori Best tried to register the name and logo of her Melbourne-based dairy company in China, she found that someone else had got there first.

Someone else had already registered the name Farmer Brown’s Dairy Company as well as the company’s flying cow logo with the China Trade Mark Office, or CTMO.