New video provides clarity around plant patent information, labeling requirements, and more
St. Paul, MN (January 27, 2022) MarkWatch™ is excited to announce the release of a new video answering frequently asked questions about the proper usage of trademarks. The video answers questions a business might have after being contacted by MarkWatch™. Questions such as “What is a trademark?”, “When should I use italics?”, and “When do I need to use the registered trademark or unregistered trademark when referencing a protected plant name?” are answered in this informative video, plus many more.
“Trademarks, plant patents, and trying to keep up with the proper nomenclature can be very confusing” says Alec Charais, Chief Marketing & Product Development Officer at Bailey. “It is our mission at MarkWatch™ to bring awareness to the industry about the importance of displaying the trademark or patent appropriately in all communications – catalogs, availabilities, online, etc. It is important to distinguish the trademark, cultivar or variety name, and a genus or species and use them appropriately so the value of that intellectual property isn’t compromised.”
MarkWatch™ is comprised of five industry partners – Bailey, J. Frank Schmidt & Son, Plant Development Services, Spring Meadow, and Star® Roses and Plants – and was created to educate and inform the proper use of trademarks and plant patents. MarkWatch™ represents 13 major plant brands to ensure the intellectual property they invest in and that makes their plants so unique is used consistently across the nursery industry. Over the past 5-6 years, MarkWatch™ representatives have monitored industry trademarks, reaching out to growers and retailers to help educate and inform when a mark may be misused.
“This is a collaboration that I am very proud to be a part of” says Charais, “because let’s face it, everyone in this industry is busy and doing the best they can. When someone receives a notification from MarkWatch™, the interaction is very positive and we get many growers and retailers that contact us the following year just to check in and make sure they are up to date with their information. That kind of proactive collaboration is really cool to see.”
MarkWatch™ FAQ video: https://markwatchplants.com/info-resources/frequently-asked-questions
For more information about MarkWatch™ resources, visit MarkWatchPlants.com.
ABOUT MARKWATCH™
Comprised of five industry partners — Bailey, J. Frank Schmidt & Son, Spring Meadow, Plant Development Services, and Star® Roses and Plants — MarkWatch™ was created to educate and inform the proper use of trademarks and plant patents in the listing of plants in catalogs, at retail and online. Additionally, MarkWatch™ monitors the use of trademarks and plant patent information for the group’s plant brands.
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