How does copyright law influence trademark registration?

Managing IP is part of Legal Benchmarking Limited, 1-2 Paris Gardens, London, SE1 8ND

Copyright © Legal Benchmarking Limited and its affiliated companies 2025

Accessibility | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Modern Slavery Statement

How does copyright law influence trademark registration?

Sponsored by

aj-park.png
Volunteers feed the homeless. Free soup in a bowl of beggar.

What happens when a third party files a trademark application for your unregistered trademark?

The usual course of action is to oppose the trademark application on the grounds that the applicant is not entitled to be the owner of the mark and that use of the mark would be likely to deceive or cause confusion.

However, opposition proceedings can be costly and time-consuming, and are not always an attractive option for individuals, small businesses and non-profit organisations.

The recent decision by the Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand (IPONZ) concerning trademark application 1072697 (the Love Soup decision) illustrates what other options may be available to parties.

The Love Soup decision

The New Zealand charity Love Soup, founded by Julie King, provides food to people in need and operates under the unregistered "Love Soup" logo trademark:

love-soup-250.jpg

In July 2017, Mia Nathan-Joyce, a third party, filed an application with IPONZ to register the Love Soup logo as a trademark covering "charitable fundraising services" in Class 36 (the third party application).

Julie King became aware of the third party application, and in November 2017 filed a new trademark application for the Love Soup logo. Together with the application, King submitted a statutory declaration and exhibits confirming she was the copyright owner of the trademark.

IPONZ asked Nathan-Joyce to confirm she was the copyright owner of the trademark in the third party application, but as the information she provided did not establish copyright ownership, IPONZ issued a notice of intention to reject the application.

At the verbal hearing that followed, the commissioner held that Nathan-Joyce had not established copyright ownership of the trademark, and had thus not discharged the onus of establishing, on a balance of probabilities, that the registration of Love Soup stylised and logo would not be contrary to law. The third party application was therefore refused.

Copyright objection

It is rare for a copyright objection to be raised at the trademark examination stage. However, if an examiner is doubtful that the applicant owns the copyright in a trademark, the applicant should be asked to clarify the issue.

In Build a Bear Workshop Inc, Miller J confirmed the onus is on the applicant to convince the commissioner that the trademark complies with the requirements of the act. Therefore, if the examiner has cause to doubt that the applicant owns the copyright in a trademark, and the applicant is not able to satisfy IPONZ it is the copyright owner, IPONZ will have grounds to refuse the application.

Key takeaways

So, what happens when a third party files a trademark application for your unregistered trademark?

The Love Soup decision indicates that a strategic option may be to file a new trademark application for your trademark, together with a statutory declaration establishing copyright ownership. The onus will then be on the third party applicant to convince IPONZ it is the copyright owner.

If the third party is not able to establish copyright ownership, it is possible that its application will be refused and your later filed application will proceed to acceptance. If the third party application does make it past the examination stage and the application is accepted, there would still be the opportunity to oppose the trademark on copyright grounds.

The Love Soup decision is an interesting example of the interplay between copyright and trademark law, and serves as a reminder that copyright ownership can have a powerful influence on the trademark registration process.

more from across site and SHARED ros bottom lb

More from across our site

A settlement between Philips and Transsion and a loss for AstraZeneca in the UK were also among the top talking points
Working with Harvey and Microsoft, the firm has been at the forefront of developing AI tools for its lawyers, and is now exploring new projects and business models
The Emotional Perception AI case, which centres on the patentability of an artificial neural network, will be heard next week
Developments included a court order related to InterDigital’s anti-anti-suit injunction against Disney, and clarification on recoverable costs
Partners at Foley Hoag examine how recent CJEU jurisprudence may serve as a catalyst for recalibrating US judicial reluctance to entertain foreign patent claims
International law firms have high hopes for their IP practices in Saudi Arabia, with many opening offices, but recruiting and retaining talent in the Kingdom presents unique challenges
Patrick Ogola joins us for our ‘Five minutes with’ series to discuss helping African entrepreneurs on the global stage, and explains why young lawyers should speak up
Heli Pihlajamaa, the EPO’s principal director for patent law and procedures, joins us to take stock of the unitary patent following its second anniversary
Kelly Thompson, chair of South African firm Adams & Adams, discusses self-belief, self-doubt, and the importance of saying yes
The renowned food brands were represented by a host of lawyers, including members of the firms’ IP teams
Gift this article