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Ethical Enforcement Programme
Standing Up to Trade Mark Bullying
We protect entrepreneurs, start-ups, and small businesses from unfair intimidation by bigger players.
This isn’t just about trade marks. It’s about access to justice, fair competition, and your right to grow. Every small business, start-up, or independent entrepreneur deserves to operate without fear of intimidation, exploitation, or unnecessary legal attacks.
Send us your letter — we’ll review it within 24 hours
What is Trade Mark Bullying?
Trade mark bullying occurs when a larger company uses its financial power or legal resources not to enforce legitimate rights, but to intimidate, coerce, or drain a smaller business.
The intent is rarely about law — it’s about pressure: forcing you to surrender your brand, slow your growth, or pay money you don’t owe.
Trade mark bullying is more than a legal tactic. It is a barrier to fair competition, a threat to innovation, and an attack on entrepreneurship.
The Bully’s Playbook
If any of these sound familiar, you’re not imagining it — you’re being bullied.
Obvious tactics
- Unjustified threats of infringement
Accusations of trade mark, copyright, or patent infringement without valid legal basis. The goal isn’t protection — it’s intimidation.
- Aggressive cease & desist letters with unreasonable undertakings
Threatening language, short deadlines, and demands far beyond what the law requires — such as handing over websites, paying excessive damages, or admitting fault.
- Frivolous oppositions or cancellations
Meritless legal actions designed purely to drain time, money, and emotional energy until defending your brand becomes unaffordable.
- Unnecessary escalation of proceedings
Turning minor disputes into expensive court battles, often across borders, to exploit financial imbalance.
- Hopeless appeals filed only to increase pressure
Appeals with little chance of success, filed solely to prolong litigation and increase costs.
- Trade mark hijacking (UK or abroad)
Registering your brand in countries you haven’t yet entered, then demanding exorbitant payments to release it.
- Domain name hijacking or tenuous domain complaints
Weak or baseless claims designed to seize control of domains that rightfully belong to you.
- Social media takedowns to silence your presence
Abuse of platform reporting systems to remove your content or suspend accounts, disrupting visibility and revenue.
Subtle tactics
- Over-broad IP claims to monopolise common words
Attempts to lock down generic or descriptive terms, forcing competitors to rebrand or avoid normal marketing language.
- “Evergreening” — endless variants filed to box you out
Registering dozens of similar marks to create a legal minefield that discourages competition and innovation.
- “We’ll bury you in costs” intimidation
Explicit threats to prolong litigation indefinitely, often across multiple jurisdictions, to force financial exhaustion.
- Baseless PR threats to damage your reputation
Threats of press releases or public accusations designed to coerce settlement through reputational harm.
- Questionable customs or border seizures
Abuse of customs enforcement to seize legitimate goods, disrupt supply chains, and apply financial pressure.
Seen one of these? Send us the letter — we’ll tell you where you stand
How We Help You Fight Back
- Level the playing field — defending start-ups against deep-pocketed corporates
- Prevent unfair settlements — no surrendering rights under financial pressure
- Fixed-fee, transparent pricing — no hidden costs or surprises
- Strategic litigation & negotiation — firm, fair, and effective pushback
- Advocacy & ethics — principled defence, not just legal services
We are not just a service — we are a mission-driven brand. Experts, advocates, and champions for the underdog.
Mission
Our Ethical Enforcement Programme isn’t just a service — it’s a stand against abuse of legal power. We combine expert strategy, fixed fees, and principled advocacy to level the field.
Bullies don’t get a pass. Not in the playground. Not in trade marks. Not on our watch.
Why Choose Trade Mark Wizards?
- Regulated by IPReg
- Backed by Lord Sugar
- Senior trade mark attorneys with deep contentious expertise
- Fast, human, and transparent — no legalese walls of text
- Mission-driven and results-focused
FAQs
Q : Is this just for start-ups?
A: No. SMEs and growing brands benefit whenever a larger opponent overreaches.
Q : Do you always litigate?
A : No. We prefer smart negotiation. We litigate when it’s the right lever.
Q : Fixed fees. Really?
A : Yes. Clear scope, clear price. If the scope changes, we agree changes first.
Q : Will you review my letter before I hire you?
A : Yes. Upload it for a free 24-hour assessment and next-step options.
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At Trade Mark Wizards, our core mission is to provide an exceptional level of customer service. We are committed to being leading experts in UK and global trade mark registration, protection, dispute resolution, and litigation.
