COPYRIGHT/TRADEMARKING FASHION BRAND NAME ADVICE

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Hannah Hamlin

Free Member
Mar 31, 2019
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  • #1
    Hi,
    I'm really new to this, so please be nice! Really hoping this will help!

    I have no previous experience in business - I am a UK designer hoping to finally start my own fashion knitwear brand. I finally decided on a name in this example lets call it 'Example Knit'. (Obviously it's not that but I'd rather not disclose it online - just in case!)

    So I've looked and exampleknit.co.uk URL is available, the instagram handle etc etc, so I thought - great! I wanted to check out brands that might have a similar name just to be safe. As far as I can see there is one brand called 'Example London' and they have this copyrighted/trademarked. Is mine a safe brand name to go through with being as there is another brand in a similar product category and also in the UK. Basically is the suffix Knit vs. London enough of a difference in your opinion?

    Another thing I wanted to check is whether it is OK for the brand to be exampleknit.co.uk, @exampleknit on instagram and twitter etc but for the logo to drop the 'knit' and simply say 'EXAMPLE' - this would be on the website, on any branding and the fabric labels inside the clothing would only say 'EXAMPLE'.

    Thanks for any advice you can give in advance!
    Hannah
     
    T

    The Byre

  • #2
    Some anonymous silly name is always a bad choice.

    You are the brand, so use your big advantage - YOU!

    Stella McCartney didn't call her company Grand United Fashion. Coco Chanel didn't call her company Surprise or TLBD. Fashion is all about WHO created it. Fashion is about creating fans and not just customers.

    Put your name on the box and it will sell!

    As for the risk of getting your TM opposed - I would say that it is a close certainty!
     
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    D

    Darren_Ssc

  • #3
    Assuming 'example london' does knitwear then you're on shaky ground. How shaky depends on how big example london are though? If it's a stay at home mum doing a bit of knitting you may get a lot of aggressive emails with multiple exclamation marks !!!!!!! and that will be the end of it.

    If, however, it's a designer brand, daughter of a Beetle or wife of a an ex-footballer, etc you can expect a lot of bother and threats that will be carried out.

    The one positive thing about starting a new clothing/fashion brand is that the name has zero influence on the potential success - you can, more or less, use any random word or words. Just think of ten successful clothing brands off the top of your head to prove my point.

    Maybe think of some other name and save yourself the aggro?
     
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    Lucan Unlordly

    Lucan Unlordly

    Free Member
    Feb 24, 2009
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  • #4
    Darren_Ssc said:
    The one positive thing about starting a new clothing/fashion brand is that the name has zero influence on the potential success - you can, more or less, use any random word or words. Just think of ten successful clothing brands off the top of your head to prove my point.
    Click to expand...

    Bit of a generalisation there Darren. A number of big selling brands have names that link to back stories. Whilst they may seem random or simply following the designers name there is often a tenuous link whether genuine or created that is built into the brand to secure editorial comment.
     
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    S

    surreyaces

    Free Member
    May 31, 2012
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  • #5
    Hi Hannah - personally I think the two brand names are too close, although I'd need to know what the Example bit is to comment properly. So you may want to pick a new name. As part of this process, I'd recommend having a trade mark search carried out before you start using your mark (or applying to register it as a trade mark) to check that it is free for use.
     
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