ARTICLE: HOW TO PROTECT YOUR BRAND?

Protecting Your Brand

In our last article, we wrote about what you should think about when you pick a name for your brand. There is, of course, much more to cover when it comes to naming. Today, we write about why it is essential to protect your name, and how you do it in the best possible way.

The name you choose to go with represents the foundation of your brand – and is your most long-term marketing tool. It is important to have a strategy beforehand, as this helps your brand to cement its core. In short, your strategy should identify both short and long-term goals. If you are planning on selling porcelain in a small town, maybe a global approach is not realistic. Plan ahead, and be true to yourself – where do you see yourself in the coming years, and most importantly, what is your allocated budget for this project? Thus, questions to ask yourself are: how extensive will the brand be? Which domains are essential to enable your full potential? By identifying necessary information, registering your trademark becomes much easier, as you already have a strategy to focus on.

“Intellectual property (IP) refers to creations of the mind, such as inventions; literary and artistic works; designs; and symbols, names and images used in commerce.” (World Intellectual Property Organization).

There are a total of 45 trademark classes; classes 1 – 34 are goods, and 35 – 45 are services. The reason for having such an extensive framework, is because creations and inventions play a big part in our lives and well-being. Briefly, they help technology and culture to grow, promote further innovation, create jobs and develop industries, and spur economic growth. Our overall quality of life is enhanced by the right to own our creations and inventions.

We cannot stress enough how important it is to make sure that your ideas should be registered to protect them. In the case of naming, by ensuring that the name you choose is registered in the right trademark classes and countries, you protect it from any unnecessary legal issues that could cause problems. In the worst-case scenario, your trademark may degenerate and you could lose your exclusive right to it.

After the trademark application is approved, it is important to use the name correctly. We encourage you to make a manual, create guidelines, or anything that helps the company to use the name without causing any harm to it. Using a trademark correctly is necessary for keeping the exclusive right to it. Make sure that others are not taking advantage of your reputation; always look out for other trademarks that may sound similar to yours – in that case it is crucial to act quickly to minimize any risk of trademark infringement.

With that being said, never snooze!

Regards,

Ignacio Valderas