Working in harmony

JillBainbridge and Ben Evans review howto make the lawyer/marketer relationship work for everyone

Jill Bainbridge andBen Evans - Blake Morgan

The relationship between trademark lawyers and marketingteams can be fraught with difficulties. The traditional narrative oftenholds that trademark lawyers stifle the creative potential of marketers andtheir brands – raising problems and picking holes in what, until that point,had felt like plain sailing towards an exciting new brand or product launch.Any fraught relationship is likely to breed inefficiency and has the potentialto leave brands and their marks vulnerable to competitors and trademark trolls– two barriers to productivity and profitability. Instead, it must be acknowledgedthat both legal and marketing teams are key components of commercial success,and therefore have a vested interest in maintaining healthy and productiveworking relationships. The benefits of a collaborative relationship betweenlawyers and marketers are threefold – preventing lawyers and marketers frombeing at loggerheads can increase time efficiency, reduce costs, and alsoprovides the most effective protection of brands and relevant trademarks.