Today is the annual celebration of World Intellectual Property Day. This global campaign seeks to emphasise the significance of intellectual property protection and aims to generate awareness of various intellectual property rights, including trade marks, which are well established in the UK with a long history.
The concept of trade marks has existed in the UK since 1862, when an act of parliament made it illegal to copy another merchant’s mark. This was formalised by the Trade Marks Registration Act 1875, which allowed trade marks to be formally registered.
Following the introduction of the Trade Marks Registration Act, the first UK trade mark was registered on 1 January 1876 by Bass Brewery, who reportedly queued overnight on New Year’s Eve in order to be the first to register a mark.
The first registration protected the Bass Red Triangle against pale ale in class 32. Bass have continued to renew this mark and remain the valid owners of UK trade mark number one. The mark has become instantly recognisable and still features on the front of the brewing company’s beer bottles today.
Trade marks and other intellectual property rights can be assets of value to proprietors and here at McDaniels Law, we are here to help with all of your trade mark needs. If you have any questions on the above, feel free to contact the team at 0191 281 4000 or alternatively at legal@mcdanielslaw.com.
