Terms and Definitions

 

What is a Design?

"Design” usually refers to the form of the interface between the product’s functions and the user. The word is also used in everyday language to refer to products, services or environments with a clear aesthetic expression. A design protectable under design law can be the appearance of the whole or a part of a product, e.g. lines, contours, colours, shape, texture and/or materials of the product itself and/or its ornamentation. 

 

What is a Trademark?

A trademark is a characteristic mark which is used to differentiate products or services from others, or to accentuate the product or service. A trademark can for example be one or more words, or a graphic symbol. A trademark can comprise all symbols which can be reproduced graphically, such as letters, numbers and figures; even the product or it’s packaging can function as a trademark, for example a distinctive perfume bottle. Sound and melodies can also be registered as trademarks. A good trademark means that the product or service is accentuated.

 

Marketing Law

Strategic decisions concerning advertising and promotions can be decisive for a company’s success. Within the EU, there is harmonized legislation against unfair commercial practices which can result in substantial financial sanctions if breached. In order to avoid fines and badwill, legal investigations and risk assessments should always be part of the marketing plan.

 

What is a Domain Name?

A domain name is a hostname that provides names or words to stand in for numeric IP-addresses. For example, we can be found at www.valea.se, instead of at 217.114.80.106. The part between the dots in a domain name is called a label according to the domain name system.

Valid labels are subject to certain rules. In general, a label must consist of 1-63 characters, they must start and end with a letter or a number, but can not consist of numbers exclusively. Further, a label can consist of the letters A-Z, a-z, numbers or hyphens (certain Top Level Domains accept national letters, such as å, ä and ö under .se)

 

What is a Patent?

A patent is an exclusive right that may be granted for an invention that is new and non- obvious. A patent is limited in time, the maximum term of a patent is generally 20 years from the date of filing of the patent application. A patent is also geographically limited, the protection conferred by a patent is often limited to one or more countries.In many parts of the world, such as Europe for instance, patents are only granted for inventions having a technical character. However, other countries, such as the US, apply a wider definition of patentable subject matter. The actual protection of a patent is defined in the claims of the patent and a patent claim generally relates to a product, a method or a use.