Consumer watchdog Which? has linked with a local glazing company to help businesses protect their identity.
As reported by Love Andover last month, KJM Group issued a warning to Hampshire businesses about the importance of protecting their business name. Their campaign now has won the support of national consumer watchdog Which?
Multi award-winning glazing company KJM Group on Mylen Road warned that local businesses could be losing customers to copycat advertisers who exploit their brand and reputation online. KJM Group was targeted by a competitor business which used KJM Windows’ name in Google Advertising, but then linked to its own website.
Because KJM Group had not registered its name as Trademark, the practice meant KJM could not challenge the use of its name with Google.
That warning has now been picked up by Which? and issued the story to its Trusted Trader network, of which KJM Group is a member.
Which? urges fellow members to watch out for ‘sharp business practices’ and encourages businesses to register their brands as Trademarks. It warns that ‘registering your businesses name with Companies House, is not the same as protecting it with a Trademark’.
Mark Pearce, Managing Director, KJM Group, said: “It’s been a very frustrating time but the positive is that we have been able to raise awareness of the importance of registering your company name as a trademark to other local businesses and members of the Which? Trusted Traders scheme.
“We hadn’t registered our company name as a Trademark – something that we have now done – which meant that it wasn’t protected and we had no real right of legal redress, even though the advertisements used our company name and traded off our reputation”, continued Mark.
Mr Pearce adds, “This is something we’re now taking up with our MP as in our opinion laws are not keeping up with increasingly sharp advertising practices online.”
Registration of a Trademark gives you the exclusive right to use a company’s name or logo. This includes a legal right to challenge someone who uses it to promote the same or similar goods for which its registered. It also empowers businesses to seek specific redress from Google under its own code of practices.
To find out more visit www.kjmgroup.co.uk or call 01264 359355.
