Information: Brands20 Aug 2005 A brand is the image of a business, product or service as perceived by the market. It connotes the sign by which the product or service is recognized and the goodwill that attaches to the sign. Signs used in trade to distinguish one supplier's goods and services may be registered as trade marks. The goodwill accruing to a sign is protected by the law of passing off, a right of action that prevents a supplier from marketing his or her goods or services that gives the impression that they are those of another supplier. Where commodities of a particular region have a reputation for excellence - such as sparkling wine from the Champagne region or ham from Parma - the geographical indications of that product are protected by collective or certification trade marks, the law of passing off and ad hoc legislation.
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