The Toshiba Corporation has become the first organisation to have its multimedia ‘motion’ mark registered under changes to UK trade mark law which came into force earlier this year.
Under the new laws, introduced in January 2019, is it now possible to register a ‘motion’ or moving mark by submitting a moving, hologram, or sound trade mark by means of a multimedia file.
Previously, applicants could only register motion marks using graphically illustrated submissions.
The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) revealed this week that the global engineering organisation, Toshiba, is the first to register its distinctive motion mark under these new changes.
The approved trade mark application, found here, shows that a multimedia file, depicting the firm’s characteristic red lettering surrounded by animated red, blue, green and orange polygon shapes, was submitted on 14 February 2019.
In the application, Toshiba said the graphic motif is based on the art of paper folding, known as origami, to reflect the brand’s heritage.
The announcement follows the UK’s first successful hologram trade mark by Google, which was also made possible by the new digital trade mark laws.
Commenting on the report, Tim Moss, Chief Executive of the IPO, said: “Trade marks are likely to become increasingly innovative in the digital age, as organisations explore imaginative ways of reflecting their distinctive brand personalities using creative intellectual property.
“Under the amended trade mark law, submission of motion marks, hologram trade marks and sound marks via multimedia format now enables examiners to see exactly what the creator of the mark intended.”
Matt McDowell, Head of Communications, Toshiba Europe, added: “We are thrilled and honoured to be the first brand to legally protect our motion mark in the UK using a multimedia graphic representation.”
“This is more than just a refreshed logo. Our communication strategy is a content-centric, digital-first strategy, and because of this, we believed it was essential to trademark all aspects of the brand, including our motion mark.”
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