Solicitor for Intellectual Property Law in San Giljan

I have a registered trademark in Malta for my brand, and I’ve recently noticed a competitor operating locally under a name that sounds and looks quite similar to mine, enough that I’ve had customers genuinely confuse the two. What can I actually do to stop this?

I registered a trademark in Malta a few years ago and I vaguely recall something about needing to renew it periodically, but I’m not entirely sure of the timeline or what would actually happen to my protection if I simply forgot or missed a renewal deadline.

I’ve been using various images I found online labelled as ‘royalty-free’ or ‘free to use’ for marketing materials for my business in Malta, without paying anything or tracking exactly where each image came from. I’m now wondering whether I’ve actually been doing this properly, or whether I could be at risk of a copyright claim.

I’ve started a small business in Malta with a distinctive brand name and logo, and I want to properly protect it before a competitor potentially copies it. What’s actually involved in registering a trademark here, and roughly how long does the process take?

I sell an accessory product in Malta that is specifically designed to be compatible with a well-known, trademarked brand of device, and I want to clearly communicate this compatibility to customers by referencing that brand name on my packaging, along the lines of ‘compatible with’ the trademarked product. Is this kind of reference to another company’s trademark actually permitted?

A former employee of my company in Malta was involved in developing some proprietary processes and technical documentation as part of their role, and they’ve now left to join a direct competitor. I’m concerned they might use or share what they developed while working for me. What are my rights here?

I’ve registered my company name with the Malta Business Registry, and I also have a distinct logo design that I use for branding. I’m wondering whether registering the company name itself gives me any protection over the logo too, or whether these are treated as entirely separate matters requiring separate protection.

I’ve discovered a business in Malta actively using a trademark almost identical to mine, and the ongoing damage to my brand and customer confusion is happening right now while I consider my legal options. I’m worried that waiting for a full court case to conclude will cause serious harm in the meantime. Is there a way to get them to stop urgently while the underlying dispute is resolved?