Let us face it. The personal standard used by the Queen is nothing but a logo design. A mark that represents the Queen as an individual and not associated with her role as the Queen of the United Kingdom.

The logo design is the crowned letter ‘E’ in gold, surrounded by a garland of gold roses on a blue background, with a golden fringe. The crown is a symbol of the Queen’s rank and dignity, whilst the roses symbolize the countries of the Commonwealth.

The design is used as disc and appears in the Royal Standards of Australia, Barbados, Canada and New Zealand.

The flag was created upon the Queen’s request in December 1960 to symbolize her as an individual and not associated with her role as Queen of the United Kingdom.

Over time, the flag started to be used in place of the Royal Standard when the Queen visits Commonwealth countries where she is not head of state and for Commonwealth occasions in the United Kingdom, and symbolizes the Queen’s role as Head of the Commonwealth. When the Queen visits Marlborough House in London, for example, her personal flag is raised and not the Royal Standard.

Usually, especially in the UK, it is very common for small companies to come up with a name and then register it with out thinking about trademark laws. But trademarking is becoming a serious issue and large companies are always on the look out for any such infringements.

Time and again, I have seen clients sign up to our logo design services in the UK, with names that are close to or the exact same (with perhaps little additions) as large brands. We are reluctant to take up such projects because at the end of the day, if a large company decides to take up the case, then as professional designers, we are also partly responsible for the trademark infringement.

My advice would be that when you conduct a search for a name at the companies house, it would also pay to read about what could be considered as trademark infringement with the UK Patent and Trademark Office. You could also spend an hour searching online and learning about trademark facts.

If you have any thoughts on this issue, I would like to invite you to share it with us by posting a comment below.

Lothian will drop its existing logo design which features the traditional crest with blue and white checks Saltire or that x-shaped symbol known as St. Andrew’s Cross. It will be replaced with a more modern and simple logo which highlights its name “Lothian and Borders Police”. If you’re wondering about that weird half-curved design at the top, it’s supposed to be the combined concept of protection and Lothian’s geographical area. It will also use a new tagline, “work with us”

The controversy lies on the amount spent on the redesign. According to a news article, Lothian has spent £120,000 to avail the services of consultants and designers. Though its Deputy Chief said this is a “modest investment” to create a modern image, some police officers and branding experts find this initiative absurd and a complete waste of money.

Given these negative feedbacks, Lothian has decided to phase in the new logo slowly over the next few months so it won’t antagonize the police force.

According to BBC, the legal counsel of Collinge has issued a warning to remove the two-letter logo design on its salon sign and website because it creates an impression that Andrew Clifford Hairdressing is connected to this so-called “international ambassador” of the salon industry.

Moreover, Collinge will be forced to take legal action if they continue to use the logo design because it will “inevitably cause damage” to its business and reputation.

For owners Andrew White and Clifford Evans who are running a few salons in Mold for more than 10 years, they are disturbed about this incident for they never considered this would affect Collinge in any way. They are given 14 days to comply with the legal letter from Collinge.

When asked if this logo was intentionally copied from Collinge, White said this simple “ac” design came from his brother using a standard computer font.

Let this be a lesson for many entrepreneurs eagerly building their businesses and brands. Make time to review the logo design of your competitors and even other companies not connected to your industry.