World Intellectual Property Day is celebrated every year on 26 April. This year, the spotlight is on IP and Music, a theme that celebrates the countless ways IP has impacted the music industry, as well as how the music industry itself has shaped the work firms like Forresters do.
IP is everywhere, and music is no exception. From the names and logos of bands, artists and record labels, to the technology that powers the devices we use to enjoy our favourite recordings, patents, trade marks and designs are woven into the vast tapestry of our enjoyment of music through the ages.
Today, we’d like to highlight some of the incredible clients we have had the pleasure of working with over the years that have contributed to the music industry.
Cavern Club
Is there a venue on the planet quite so synonymous with popular music than the iconic Cavern Club in Liverpool? Known to the wider world as the venue pivotal to the early success of The Beatles, The Cavern Club has hosted a variety of world-renowned music acts, from The Rolling Stones, Elton John and Queen, as well as modern artists like The Arctic Monkeys and Adele. It remains a popular tourist destination, and continues to host live music to this day.
The club is now owned and operated by Cavern City Tours, whose relationship with Forresters dates back over thirty years, when our team assisted with the registration of trade marks for “THE CAVERN” and “THE CAVERN CLUB.” Since then, our trade mark team has helped to register a variety of trade marks, relating to the Cavern Club name and brand identity. Protection for their brands now extends beyond the UK, thanks to registered trade marks in Europe, Australia, Mexico and more.
This was a vitally important step in ensuring the historic legacy and excellent reputation of the club is preserved for years to come. Registering trade marks in this way allows the Cavern Club to operate with confidence, promoting their events and producing merchandise enjoyed by fans all over the world.
Nick Robinson, Brand Manager at Cavern City Tours, told us:
“We have trusted Forresters to look after our trade marks for many years now. When you have such an iconic brand with a global community, it is so important to protect your IP. The support of Kate Cruse and the team at Forresters has helped us to keep our identity safe, so our fans and supporters know they are always dealing with the genuine article.”
The Narrowband Absorber Company
Sound absorption and diffusion has been a concern for musicians, engineers, studio technicians and others since music was first recorded. Many solutions have been proposed for taming and treating unwanted frequencies. One company leading the way in modern sound treatment technology is our client The Narrowband Absorber Company, whose flagship product, the P:VAD, may revolutionise the way we think about absorbing and diffusing sound.
The P:VAD is a modular, portable acoustic absorber and diffuser, designed to target multiple frequency bands. For instance, low frequency sound waves often cause muddiness or booming noises in live or recorded settings. The P:VAD offers a unique solution; it can be configured in many different ways, and is therefore capable of trapping and absorbing low frequency sound, whilst diffusing higher frequencies, in a wide variety of professional settings, without the need to permanently adapt the surrounding space.
With such an innovative solution ready for the market, it was vital that The Narrowband Absorber Company protected their technology. A mutual contact recommended they reach out to Forresters Partner Jagvir Purewal. Our team carried out a patentability search, which indicated that patent protection may be possible. A patent specification was then prepared, leading to the grant of a patent in the UK. Our team has since successfully obtained a second patent for the company, and continues to advise on their future IP protection strategy.
We asked Anthony Frost, Principle at The Narrowband Absorber Company, what IP means to them, and how they ended up seeking help with protecting their technology.
“Working with Forresters to protect our IP with patents was an eye-opening experience. Just working out whether we had something that could be patented was the first step; I actually ended up with two patents for the product, when initially I thought there may only be one. Jagvir, Ian and the team made it possible to protect the technology at the widest extremities with these two patents. It is comforting to know protection is in place, so that we can promote the product and spread the word.”
The P:VAD is now being sold online, and is already making its mark on the audio production industry.
Headstock Distribution
Forresters is proud to represent Headstock Distribution, a household name in the music equipment industry. They are the exclusive UK and Ireland distributor for DiMarzio and Ibanez, known for their guitar hardware products and guitars and basses respectively, effects pedal manufacturer Truetone, and drum equipment brands Tama, Zildjian, Vic Firth, and Aquarian Drumheads.
The iconic brands under their umbrella include Laney Amplification and HH Audio, two giants of amplifier and loudspeaker technology. Laney amplifiers have been used to create some of the world’s most beloved recordings from well-known artists, including Black Sabbath, The Smashing Pumpkins, KISS and more. HH Audio remains one of the most reliable names in speaker technology. Their products are trusted by countless professional musicians, sound engineers and other professionals in the live audio and music industries.
As the owner of globally recognised brands with worldwide distribution, it was vital for Headstock Distribution to obtain security for their brands in the form of trade marks. Forresters first began working with them in 1997, when we were instructed to register a trade mark for one of their brands.
Since then, our team has assisted with registering over 80 trade marks for the company, including registered trade marks for the Laney and HH Audio names and logos, as well as trade marks for individual product lines, including the Lionheart and Ironheart series of Laney Amplifiers. Their brands are now protected around the world, with registrations in Brazil, China, Australia and a number of other territories beyond the UK and Europe, reflecting their globally recognised reputation.
Our attorneys have also represented Headstock Distribution in a number of opposition matters, enforcing their rights and ensuring their trade marks remain protected against third party usage.
Music and IP
Much like a creative spark helps to transform ideas into the music we enjoy every day, IP helps to transform ideas into tangible business assets. Patents, trade marks and designs help to preserve the identity and integrity of companies, brands and products around the world. They allow the creators of new brands and innovative technology to promote and develop their ideas with confidence.
In a world where imitation has never been easier, safeguarding originality has never been more important. On World Intellectual Property Day, we are reminded of the power of music not just to inspire and move us, but also to impact industry, the economy, and the future of innovation.
From a trade marked logo on an amplifier, to a globally recognised giant of the live performance world, or even the patented technology shaping the future of studio recordings, IP and music have a long-standing and enduring partnership. Forresters is proud to have been part of the symphony.
