Video: How Brexit will affect trade marks and other IP rights

Anne Bashir, Director, Trade Marks at Murgitroyd explained what happens to the EU's 18 million trade marks.

Brexit negotiations continue to rumble on ahead of the March 2019. Anne Bashir (Director, Trade Marks) of IP firm Murgitroyd shared her views on Brexit implications for trade marks and other forms of intellectual property.

In the 10-minute interview with Scotsman host David Lee, she spoke about transitioning 18 million EU trade marks over to a UK register and offered insight into the transitional period stretching to December 2020.

With so many issues around Brexit, Ms Bashir admits she was pleasantly surprised intellectual property was mentioned so heavily in the draft agreement.

18 million trade marks have been created since the UK joined the EU in 1973. Pic: PA18 million trade marks have been created since the UK joined the EU in 1973. Pic: PA
18 million trade marks have been created since the UK joined the EU in 1973. Pic: PA

Speaking to David Lee, she said: “I suspect it’s because Europeans own a number of these 18 million European trade marks and they want to trade in the UK and vice versa.

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“It would affect their ability to trade if they weren’t confident that the trade marks were protected in the UK.”

On the other side of the English Channel, she pointed out the importance of international trading in post-Brexit Britain.

18 million trade marks have been created since the UK joined the EU in 1973. Pic: PA18 million trade marks have been created since the UK joined the EU in 1973. Pic: PA
18 million trade marks have been created since the UK joined the EU in 1973. Pic: PA

“Although it’s a European trade mark, you don’t have to be a European to own a European trade mark,” she said, “and they want to make sure they’ll be protected and looked after in a post-Brexit UK as well.”

You can watch the full interview with Anne Bashir in the player above.

To find out more about trade marks, intellectual property, visit murgitroyd.com/trade-marks

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