Protecting your ideas is perfect tonic for a strong brand

both new and existing, have sought to protect their gin brands via a registered trade mark.

The number of trade marks registered in the UK for spirits increased by over 40 per cent last year compared to the year before as brands have sought to establish a clear brand identity to try and ensure their product stands out among the hundreds of others on the market.

However, a rise in the number of gin brands also means an inevitable increase in conflicts.

Those who have invested considerable amounts in their products and branding are reluctant to share the name with anyone else.

The Port of Leith Distillery (which hasn’t even opened yet), for example, tried to object to an attempt to register a trade mark for ‘Leith Gin’ by Birmingham-based Gleann Mor Spirits but was ultimately unsuccessful.

This just shows the importance of considering and developing branding before a product launches to ensure that no one else beats you to it.

In such a competitive market, there will also no doubt be those who seek to emulate the allure of a signature product.

Several large players in the industry have now launched competing pink gin products for example, all vying for market share.

While product colours themselves are particularly difficult to protect it may be possible to obtain trade mark and/or other IP protection for more unusual aspects of product branding and it is worth considering this too to maintain your competitive edge.

Good intellectual property protection will remain the perfect tonic for those looking to build a brand and win a slice of the competitive gin market. John Ferdinand, Partner, Chartered (UK) and European Trade Mark Attorney at Marks & Cklerk E: jferdinand@marks-clerk.com T: 0121 643 5881