1.0 Trademark Basics


Your company name is the unique point on which customers are recognising your business or your products. It can be a huge value for your company as it brings customers and business. This value needs to be protected.

A value can only be defined as a value if it really belongs to you. In some countries you get a certain protection even without registering you name. But what if someone does? What happens if you are using you name in your country without protecting and someone else is protecting it? How will judges decide? Having your name next to a registered name will decrease the value of your name.

This protection can and should be done via a Trademark registration. These registrations can be done on national (Germany, France, USA etc.) or regional level (European Union, Africa) or international via WIPO (World Intellectual Property Office).

Each trademark has to be registered with the respective class of Goods and Services who defines in what area of business your name is active.

It is important that your name is distinctive and non-descriptive of the business you are in, to be able to get registered.

This information is based on EUIPO (European Union Intellectual Property office)

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