One of the most important aspects of any business is its name, brand, and trademark. It’s a sign of your company, for your hard work and dedication, the sweat, blood, and tears you put into your line of work. It stands to reason that you would want to protect this aspect at all costs, tooth and nail. For this reason, you would want to register a trademark. Do you want to know how to register your trademark in the international market, and what are the benefits and costs of this procedure? Keep reading this article.
The Basics
A trademark represents your brand name, it’s usually a short phrase that has a logo that comes with it. It is a representation of your brand, and it’s part of your identity. For this reason, you want it to stay like that. You want to have people think of your business anytime they come across this phrase, you want them to know that when they see goods or services bearing your trademark, they know what they will get.
And if you do not register it properly, you become open to abuse. This is, of course, much worse if you want to go international. The possibilities for profit and benefits from this international trademark procedure are endless, as are the possibilities for headaches and corporate drama.
Why Get a Register Trademark International Market?
Once you’re open to abuse, any competitor with less-than-shining morals can abuse this. They can use your trademark to promote lower-quality products, either to piggyback on your successor or intentionally tank your business. They can do the latter by placing your logo onto products of inferior quality, ruining your reputation.
With a trademark, you have a strong basis to litigate against these things. You can take them to court and handle the issue quickly and efficiently. Or at least, much more quickly without a trademark. And, of course, all this becomes amplified if you want to enter a foreign, international market. More competitors, unfamiliar grounds, unfamiliar laws, and strange, new situations.
First Things First…
So, before you go international, there are certain steps you need to take. First, create your logo or phrase. Think of something catchy and memorable while still being short and succinct. And also, be certain that nobody else is using it. You can check on that by performing a good trademark search, either by yourself or with the assistance of a professional company.
Once you have chosen the right phrase and logo, you should go to your government’s trademark registration office. It is most often through the relevant Patent Office (as it’s done, for example, in the US). When you do this process through the patent office, you will most like have the following procedure happen. First, they will search their trademark database once more to double-check. You will then be presented with some form and finally pay the registration fee.
Next, you want to go international. If you truly desire to do so, here are more things you should remember. Namely, by doing all your paperwork and registering your trademark for, let’s say, the US, you won’t be covered by this protection in other countries. But don’t fret. No, you don’t have to register your trademark for every country.
However, if you truly want to make the most out of your profits, then you should register an international trademark. Namely, if you operate in your own country, there is no reason to go through all that bureaucratic nonsense. However, if you, for example, handle an online shop, losing out on an international trademark means you can’t sell to foreign nationals or leave yourself open to abuse.
How to Get a Register International Trademark
In order to get an international trademark, you must go through the so-called Madrid Protocol or Madrid System. Organize by the WIPO (world intellectual property organization) found in Switzerland, the Madrid system simplifies the trademark registration process in Geneva. First, you need to see if your country is a member country of the Madrid system.
Then, you file the relevant application at your appropriate office. With minimal bureaucratic interferences, this allows you to register and helps you renew and change your trademark directly. The Madrid process allows you to register your trademark to other non-member countries a bit easier than if you were to do it alone
Setting up your trademark for a specific country can also be done through your government’s patent or trademark office. There are usually costs to register this trademark in the international market.
EU Registration
There is one final point that is to be made here. Namely, perhaps you are going international but only want to do business in the European Union. If you’re going with this route, the best choice is probably registering with the EU intellectual property office. You can do this online, and you should know that your registration will also be around 10 years. You can also renew your registration whenever you wish.
Quick Tips
Remember to be incredibly thorough and precise. These applications take weeks or even months to be handled and set out. The last thing you need is to lose money and time due to a spelling error.
Finally, getting the advice of a professional lawyer can go a long way. Finding one specializing in trademark law can make the process smoother and faster. Sure, an attorney can be expensive, but so is your time. Furthermore, how much time and money will you lose if your application gets rejected? And remember that there is at least one extra step of complication when going international.
Final Words About Register Trademark International Market
Knowing how to register your trademark in the international market is not as difficult as it seems. You must adhere to a couple of steps along the way, but you must do them if you want proper protection. Access the right office, do the proper paperwork, and you’re ready.
We hope that this article on how to register your trademark in the international market and what the benefits and costs of this procedure have helped you in this step; leave us a comment!
