Branding and territories: The conflict of applying domestic laws to universal trademarks

The thesis focuses on the branding phenomenon in its relationship with territory. Owners of global brands seek to defend a set of positive associations that goes beyond the concept of trademark per se. In that undertaking, the territorial limitation of trademark rights is perceived as an impediment to a worldwide protection of the branded myth.;Eventually, the conflict of applying domestic law to "universal" trademarks can be solved by an adequate use of the global branding notion and through the establishment or strengthening of relevant regional blocks.;The thesis analyses the branding phenomenon and the territoriality principle of trademark law. It also depicts the methods currently employed by trademark owners to circumvent national legislations. The thesis supports alternative approaches, which successfully combine branding and territorial values.