Distribrands Cosmetics BV v. Unilever Plc

Social media plays a crucial role in the growth of any brand. If you are starting a business, prepare to leverage social media to at least some extent in the promotion of your company. Whether you make ads to run on Facebook and LinkedIn or define your company’s persona through viral posts and tweets, social media provides unique and valuable opportunities for businesses. It also can be a source of countless trademark infringements that can be detrimental to starting businesses.

Cases of multinational companies putting claims against much smaller businesses are far from uncommon, but their result is almost always the same - an absolute PR nightmare for the corporate giants. Oatly AB, a leading plant-based dairy alternatives producer, is amongst the companies that have fallen under public scrutiny after their overly aggressive trademark enforcement actions.

Two sailing enthusiasts, Thomas Guy and Chris Jacobs, have developed an app for fellow sailors, allowing them to capture their experience in one place. SailTies brand has instantly become loved by the sailing community and naturally, its founders have smartly focused on brand protection through trademark registration from the very start! Read the full story of turning a sailing hobby into the beloved app.