Legal analysis and practical guidance on cross-border business, disputes, corporate, employment and IP matters across India and the UAE — including the Legal Help Desk, our Q&A column on the problems clients actually meet.
A brand’s reputation often crosses a border before its trademark filings do. Consider a hypothetical. An established Indian restaurant chain, widely known among Indian residents of the UAE and among UAE visitors to India, plans its first outlet in a Dubai mall. Before signing the lease, it discovers that a former franchise partner has applied […]
In Short Saudi Arabia joined the Madrid Protocol on 8 October 2026, allowing trademark owners to seek protection in the Kingdom through WIPO’s international trademark registration system. Saudi businesses can also use the system to seek trademark protection abroad. The Madrid System now reaches 133 countries, including five of the six GCC states. However, international […]
The UAE has entered the top 25 of WIPO’s Global Innovation Index 2026, while India leads Central and Southern Asia and has outperformed its level of development for 16 consecutive years. This article looks at the detail behind those rankings and at why the ownership, registration, licensing and financing of intellectual property matter for businesses […]
Received a trademark cease-and-desist notice in India? Learn how to assess the claim, preserve evidence, evaluate your legal position, and respond strategically while minimising litigation risk. A trademark cease-and-desist notice often arrives at a time when a business is focused on growth rather than legal disputes. Whether you are a startup that has recently launched a new brand, […]
A comprehensive guide to protecting and enforcing well-known trademarks in India. Understand trans-border reputation, dilution, injunctions, online infringement, customs action, and practical enforcement strategies for global and Indian businesses. well-known trademark is one of the most commercially valuable intellectual property assets a business can own. In India, well-known trademarks receive broader protection than ordinary […]
The transformation of Indian food businesses from informal street-side ventures to structured, venture-backed startups has triggered a parallel evolution in how culinary assets are protected. What was once guarded through secrecy and tradition is now increasingly secured through formal intellectual property (IP) mechanisms, especially trademarks, trade dress, and branding strategies. In India’s rapidly expanding food […]
The evolution of intellectual property as a bankable asset class has significantly reshaped financing structures in the UAE. Among such assets, trademarks being commercially exploitable identifiers are increasingly used as collateral in secured transactions. The UAE legislator, through Federal Decree-Law No. 36 of 2021 on Trademarks, expressly recognizes the ability to pledge trademarks, marking a clear shift from earlier […]
Ownership Has Gone Digital, But the Law Hasn’t Caught Up The rise of NFTs (Non-Fungible Token) has transformed how ownership is perceived in the digital world. Art, music, virtual real estate, fashion, and even brand identities are now being tokenized and traded on blockchain networks. What was once intangible and easily replicable is now being packaged as unique, […]
Question: “Someone filed a mark similar to ours after we started using the brand—can we stop them, and what proof of earlier use do we need?” Answer Yes—often you can stop them, but the best route depends on where their mark sits in the lifecycle (filed vs published vs registered) and how strong your prior-use evidence is. […]
Question: “Our trademark search shows a similar mark—how do we decide if we fight, tweak the brand, or file smartly to reduce rejection/opposition risk?” Answer When a search shows a similar mark, the decision is not “file or don’t file.” It’s risk triage + the cheapest path to a defensible outcome. Here’s the method that works in practice. […]