Trade mark specialist Marks & Clerk today (August 24) said businesses should still seek expert advice ahead of Brexit, despite some clarity over industry issues post-split.

Campbell Newell, Partner from Marks & Clerk’s Edinburgh office, who attended the recent International Trademark Association (INTA) conference in Barcelona, revealed massive strides have been made to secure a plan for trade mark owners post-Brexit.

It’s now almost certain those with a European Union trade mark (EUTM) will simply see their registrations be replicated to the UK register, as administered by the UKIPO. Essentially this means owners of EUTMs will have ongoing protection for their trade marks in the UK as well as the rest of the EU.

Speaking today (August 24), Campbell said: “There has been a lot of speculation as to what will happen post-Brexit. It now seems highly likely that on the point of Brexit businesses having EU trade mark registration will have a UK registration as well as their existing EU registration.

“This is good news in that it brings certainty for businesses and for trade mark owners. There is also the added bonus in that there is unlikely to be any official cost to the process.

“While this is all great news for trade mark owners in the sense that those with EUTMs will be faced with a very straight forward process, it should also be caveated with the awareness that there will be a number of very complex issues to come out of Brexit, which as we know is a fluid and ever changing process, so it’s advisable to seek expert guidance.

“We have teams at the ready across the UK, Luxembourg and France to guide businesses through the process around trade marks post-Brexit.”

Scottish Chambers of Commerce has welcomed the additional clarity provided by the Prime Minister around the UK Government’s proposals on the rights of EU nationals to remain in the UK.

Commenting, Liz Cameron, Chief Executive of Scottish Chambers of Commerce, said:

“EU nationals play a vital role in Scottish business and in the Scottish economy, and our businesses have long called for clarity on the status of EU nationals in the workforce in the wake of the vote for the UK to leave the European Union. That is why the Scottish Chambers of Commerce network called for a deal on the rights of EU citizens in the UK, and UK citizens in the EU, within the first 100 days of this Government

“We therefore welcome the additional clarity provided by the Prime Minister on the UK Government’s offer to the EU in respect of EU nationals. It demonstrates a clear intention to secure the futures of those EU citizens who are already living and working in the UK, whilst providing a path for those arriving or yet to arrive in the UK. It will now be vital for politicians in the UK and the EU to hammer out a deal on this as soon as possible in order to give business the confidence that their colleagues and staff’s futures are secure.

“However, this also serves to underline the need for a plan on the UK’s future system of migration. Artificial and arbitrary limits for future migration will not work for business and we require an assurance that future migration targets will reflect the sectoral and geographical needs of business and the economy for skilled talent.”

Commenting on the Prime Minister’s announcement on the future work and residency rights of EU citizens in the UK, Liz Cameron, Chief Executive of Scottish Chambers of Commerce, said:

“Scottish Chambers of Commerce Network called for the guarantee of EU citizens from the outset and it is good news to see the Prime Minister finally guarantee these rights and provide clarity to Scottish business. This news will be welcomed by all sectors and will enable us to plan ahead, whilst also providing a level of stability to EU citizens and their families. These are the initial building blocks that need to be put in place and now we must look towards a longer-term solution in terms of migration to the UK that is firmly based on business and economic need.

“We would also urge reciprocity from our EU counterparts to guarantee the rights of the 1.2 million UK citizens currently working or living in the EU, ensuring those businesses that are trading within the EU market can continue to grow and run their business operations.

“This announcement is a good start to the Brexit negotiations but there is still a long way to go to address business priorities on issues such as access to single market, tariffs and our relationship with the EU bloc.”