Sands Trademarks – it’s not what it seems.

Following the news that Sands had trademarked Baby Loss Awareness Week and Wave of Light here is their response when questioned about why they had done it and the implications of the decision. It is not as people were claiming, noone has to pay to use these terms and we are free to use them in relation to matters within the baby loss communities. They are hoping that by trademarking these terms we can all work together to raise awareness of the impact of babyloss and fund research into prevention.

“With this in mind, we want to make it absolutely clear that both the Baby Loss Awareness Week and Wave of Light brands have always been – and will always be – available without restriction to everyone who wants to remember all those pregnancies and babies who have been lost.

This means that the Baby Loss Awareness Week and Wave of Light brands and logos can be freely used by everyone for remembrance, for awareness raising and for fundraising purposes, as we know so many people want to support the baby loss charities that are close to their heart during the week.

We will shortly be issuing clearer guidelines to this effect and we will make it absolutely clear that there are no restrictions on their use by organisations and individuals who want to commemorate, raise awareness and/or funds for charitable causes relating to pregnancy and baby loss.

What we do want to do is protect the brands from commercial exploitation by organisations that are not connected to pregnancy and baby loss. This is the sole intention behind registering the brands. In this way we hope to make sure that everyone who wants to commemorate, raise awareness or funds for pregnancy and baby loss will have that ability protected into the future.

Indeed, by all of us in the pregnancy and baby loss community using the brands together, we can be even more effective at raising awareness about pregnancy and baby loss.”