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Creation has reached new levels in our century and most businesses rely on innovation which implies unique characteristics used in all domains. Unfortunately, copying and using others’ business models or brands has also developed a lot and that is why the law has evolved in order to protect good ideas and names of companies which have established as leaders on the market they serve. Copyrights, patents and trademarks are the three categories of intellectual property work which can be protected by registrations. Out of these three, trademarks are used to add value to one’s services or goods and can help in creating an easy recognizable brand.
How to choose and register a trademark
By definition, a trademark can be a letter or number, one or more words or even a graphic representation of a company’s goods or services. No matter, the trademark a company or an individual chooses there are ways which allow them to verify if the brand they want to create is indeed unique.
The registration of a trademark must be done with the Intellectual Property Office in the applicant’s country. Those who want to expand abroad have the possibility of registering their trademarks with the correspondent offices in the respective countries. Take the Netherlands for example, it is one of the most innovative countries in Europe which allows the registration of national and international trademarks. Before registering your trademark, it is advisable to contact a law office in the Netherlands and check the requirements, as well as the documents needed for this.
One should also note that once the trademark is registered it is not sufficient to leave it there. They will need to place it in the most visible places in order to become popular, like the business’ website and catalogues. Another tip is to constantly monitor the trademark and check if any applications with trademarks resembling theirs have been filed. In this case, one can file a trademark infringement application.
Why register trademarks?
As mentioned in the beginning a trademark will add value to one’s brand. But what does that exactly mean? It means attracting more customers but also skilled individuals who will want to work for a company with a strong brand.
Registering a trademark will improve the visibility of a business on the market and will also offer an advantage in situations where two similar products or services are sold by different companies.
Moving from Europe to Asia, one of the best examples of companies using trademarks to their advantage is Hong Kong which offers enhanced protection to those registering trademarks here. So, it would be interested to check how to register your trademark in Hong Kong and see what its advantages are.
No matter the reason why one decides to register a trademark, it will mean offering an identity to a business, protecting it and will help it achieving that uniqueness every business owner seeks. With the current IP laws which are harmonized at an international level it would be a pity not to take advantage of them.
