We may think that recording intellectual property (IP) ownership rights are somewhat recent event it is not. Even the Romans stamped bricks to show their sign of ownership. Trademark law is quite ancient going out back to the year 1266 in England. The old law known as the “bakers marking law” used to show the maker of a loaf of bread. Each baker would have their own registered mark.
Trademark law is very well established globally. It is still flouted in some developing nations but that is the joy of the jungle. Most established companies these days have trademark protection or are in the process of getting protection. Most people think that you have to legally register a mark to be able to use it but the opposite is true. You register a mark so that others cannot use it! When you register a trademark you gain the unique right to be the only one to use the mark or to control who can use it.
A trademark is a unique mark that allows customers to distinguish you without seeing your product. It is a unique part of your brand. Trials have shown that you can exhibit just part of a well-known trademark and people know which brand it belongs to. This shows the power of a good image and how the brain works at recalling such things. This is why it is important to legally protect important marks and words.
In most countries if you create something yourself you have the sole rights to use this. However if an idea is used by many people it very quickly becomes common property and cannot be registered. It is always best to legally register marks and ideas. Registration legally fixes the date of ownership beyond any sense of doubt. In some countries common law gives some protective cover but at the end of the day you have more protection if you engage trademark lawyers to protect important intellectual property.
These days you can self-register a trademark but there are inherent risks of doing this of course. Trademark attorneys of course know how to register and how to protect ownership if the rights are abused. They know the full story of registration and protection. If you self-register you may get a cheap registration but you may have left a loop-hole for somebody to misuse your rights later on.
Registration of trademarks can be done in one or more countries. Currently there is no such thing as a global trademark. You have to register in all the countries where you want protection.
Registration has become easier over the recent years with the existence of systems like the Madrid System of International Registration of Marks through the World Intellectual Property Organization, Geneva, Switzerland but international registration is still a tedious and fairly pricy process.
Of course the benefits of registering a trademark outweigh the costs and challenges. If you are focused about your business you should be looking into at IP registration today.
Discover more about Trademark Registration Singapore and uncover how does a patent lawyer and IP protection add value to your business very fast.
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