All Eyes Will Be Back On Britain In 2022: The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee – Intellectual Property

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All Eyes Will Be Back On Britain In 2022: The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee

At Marks & Clerk, we couldn’t be more excited to see
that the official Platinum Jubilee emblem has now been unveiled.
The emblem will be used for all official merchandise commemorating
The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee across digital and social media,
and its big reveal is an important early step towards the four-day
celebration in June 2022 commemorating Her Majesty The
Queen’s remarkable 70 years as Monarch. The celebrations will
have huge international exposure, and the emblem will be recognised
as a hallmark of ‘Britishness’ that resonates not just
in the UK, but throughout the Commonwealth and beyond. Furthermore,
the Jubilee is expected to generate an additional GBP 1 billion
revenue for the UK, a boost which will be particularly welcome to
businesses following the turbulent times of 2020-1.

Although the official Jubilee weekend is still ten months away,
retailers will already be giving thought to souvenir and
commemorative merchandise to mark this historic occasion. Given the
exposure the celebrations will have, it’s important for
businesses to be aware of what they can and cannot do. Detailed
information has already been
published detailing how the Platinum Jubilee emblem should
be used. This supplements the existing guidelines from The Lord
Chamberlain’s office, provisions of the Trade Marks Act 1994,
and guidance from the ASA, all aimed at ensuring that souvenir
merchandise accurately depicts Royal patronage or
“official” status. It is likely that special additional
guidelines will be published in the weeks to come, and we
anticipate these will relax the rules around royal emblems for a
limited time, specifically for Jubilee souvenirs.

Trade mark applications can also be fraught with difficulty for
those who do not have an official connection to the celebrations.
Retailers applying to register representations of Royal arms,
crowns and the Union Jack will encounter objections at the UK
Intellectual Property Office, and there will be similar problems
for applications containing names of Royal Family members, or
illustrations of royal palaces and residences. Even the word ROYAL
can be tricky to register as part of a trade mark, depending on the
goods or services covered in the application. Early professional
advice is essential to avoid the wasted costs of a refused
application.

Marks & Clerk has an extensive track record in advising
clients on branding issues around events of international
significance, including the wedding of TRH the Duke and Duchess of
Cambridge, The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the Olympic Games
in London in 2012. Watch this space as we roll out additional
content to help advise retailers to navigate this complex
space. 

The content of this article is intended to provide a general
guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought
about your specific circumstances.

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