Joachim & Janson: Protecting your business fortune by protecting your Intellectual Property Rights
Why is it crucial to protect your intellectual property rights?
Your IP rights are so important because they:
- make your business different from competitors
- are an important revenue stream when sold or licensed
- bring something new and different for customers
- is your brand image
- can be used as security for loans
You will be surprised at how many strands of your business can be protected. Starting with your brand name, your logo, the specific designs, any inventions, the works of creative or intellectual effort or trademarks that distinguish your business in the market can all be types of IP.
Joachim & Janson was established in the year 2002. It is an Intellectual Property law office which best serves those Entrepreneurs who are excited about building their fortune or business around their valuable intellectual property assets so that nobody messes with it or rips them off their Brands, Trade names, Logos, Taglines, Inventions, Designs, Trade secrets, Software, Literary and Artistic Works.
Speaking to Business Connect Anup Joachim- the chief IP attorney says “As a service provider we always have to ensure that we explain our services, provide proper advice and give our best service at reasonable rates. Secondly, I make sure that we are available to them and lastly we do our work promptly and meet the timelines.”
Joachim & Janson though being headquartered in Cochin, Kerala have been successful in providing high-quality intellectual property legal services to several thousand companies spread across the globe.
“As early as in 2006 we were invited to be listed in the Asia Pacific Legal 500” recalls Anup.
As per India Business Law Journal, April 2013 Joachim & Janson was mentioned as one among “50 Indian law firms that International lP owners and their legal advisers should know about”. Many magazines have mentioned the company as one amongst the “25 most promising IP, Copyright, Patent & Trademark Consultants in India -2016” and “Best Full-Service IP Law firm -India 2017” by Acquisition International Magazine, UK; India’s 10 most reliable law firms, 2020, etc.
“Our success rate has been over 70%-90% during the last 18 years. We have been able to network and work with leading IP & Corporate law offices in over 175 countries,” says Anup.
We had a conversation with Anup Joachim- the chief IP attorney at Joachim & Janson to know more about the services, strategies, and style of working. Have a read.
What is unique about your law office compared to your competitors?
We consider our clients’ business and their IP assets as our own and ensure that no supervision or follow-up is needed from their end. We hear our clients and provide services that suit their requirements. We provide high-quality legal services that are at par with the best IP law firms and charge only very reasonable rates that can be afforded even by an SSI. We also provide many innovative services that are not available from any other law offices not only in India but across the globe.
For eg., We offer over 45 different services for trademarks alone. This helps our clients to get every possible Intellectual property service under one roof in every growth stage. All our staff is highly qualified. We also have client relationship officers to help our clients.
What are your responsibilities as an IP lawyer?
Advocate or an IP lawyer is an officer of Justice and as such he is expected to help the court in delivering justice. As an IP advisor, I counsel my clients about their legal rights and obligations and suggest courses of action in business and personal matters. I represent my clients in courts, before government agencies, and in private legal matters.
I have to communicate with my clients, colleagues, examiners, registrars, controllers, judges, and others involved in the case. Besides this, I need to conduct IP research and analysis of legal problems, interpret IP laws, rulings, and regulations for individuals and businesses, present facts in writing and verbally to my clients or others, and argue on behalf of my clients and prepare and file legal documents, such as lawsuits, appeals, contracts, and deeds
What are the ethics and values you follow as an IP lawyer?
It is an ethical responsibility of any lawyer to put his client’s interest before anyone else’s’. As an IP lawyer, I try to maintain utmost confidentiality regarding the client’s intellectual property matters and make sure my clients’ IP assets are safe. I refuse to take up new clients whose matters conflict with the interests of my existing clients.
My charges are reasonable and are more or less the same for micro, small, medium, and large entities, and at times, some clients may find it difficult to pay for the services however we go that extra mile to make sure that there is a positive outcome. I make sure that I am always available to my clients and my staff. and I also follow the code of conduct laid down by the Bar Council of India.
Everybody goes through a period of struggle, as a lawyer what were the struggles you faced, and how they shaped your entrepreneurial journey?
As an Intellectual Property Attorney my most challenging task was to educate or convince the people regarding their Intellectual property rights. Most entrepreneurs were not aware of Trademark, Patent, Copyright, and Design protection and most of them still do not know even after all these years. People are not taught IPR in schools or colleges.
Law professionals in India have restrictions to reach out to people who might need Intellectual property services. Since we are based out of Kerala, we have geographical limitations and have less exposure in comparison to law offices based in Delhi and Mumbai. By providing extraordinary services we have overcome our limitations. Our services are in high demand from clients across the globe.
Give us an idea of your clientele?
Our clientele comprises Individuals, Micro, Small, Medium and Large scale industries, Research organizations, Colleges and Universities, Law firms, Societies, and Trusts.
How do you serve society?
Law is an instrument of social change and Lawyers are expected to serve the society. Everyone has a duty to give back to society. I believe that the only life lived for others is a life worthwhile.
I am the Co-Founder of the Kerala Urban Development Society (KUDS), Founder of the Association of Young & Progressive Indian Citizens (AYPIC), and Co-Founder of Centre for Advanced Research in Urbanism (CARUS).
Give some business tips to young people who want to place their foot in the entrepreneurial world.
As a legal professional who has served the business community for a long term, I would urge you to find a problem and its solution by thinking out of the box, take the plunge when a suitable idea strikes you, protect the idea, believe in it, work on it with passion and without losing focus until you succeed.
