Trademark Applications and Registrations
Trademark applications (and registrations) provide you with resources to protect your business and investment; in fact they will become your most dear business asset. There is a very common misconception that registering a company, purchasing the names and registering for tax purposes provides you with the legal rights to protect your brand. This just isn’t the case; only a registered trademark can provide you with the legal backing to secure your venture and its future operations.
Questions often arise as to if to register a trademark. The simple answer is that it is imperative, providing the only form of protection providing exclusive legal rights to use the company trademark for your specific goods and services, both in the offline and Online Trademark status search India environments; affording the business the chance to stop others from via your brand and potentially damaging the reputation of organization.
In respect to a trademark application, numerous aspects surrounding the brand and image of the company can be protected. Such as logos, phrases, taglines, colours, fonts and images. Furthermore, trademarks are registered for particular goods and businesses. The inclusion of a written description of the business’ offerings provides the legal specifics of protection. It is important that the range of merchandise and/or services that corporation produces is correctly classified into one of the 45 separate categories in the market.
It is important to focus on that trademark applications are country specific. For instance, this means that if you have a trademarked business in New Zealand that happens to be trading, or is proposing to trade, in Australia you should protect the emblem and business conception around australia too. Having rights towards brand, logo and product offerings in New Zealand does not mean that you have the same rights in Australia; a separate trademark application must be wrote.
The process of a trademark application in both mentioned countries is very similar; however, there are longer confirmation times when applying for an Australian based trademark. The trademark application process in both countries are registered on a ‘first to file’ basis, which means that if another business or individual files a trademark application prior to your own, then they may gain the legal rights make use of the trademark. Once a questionnaire is received, the trademarks office examined the application, searching for any potential issues in the application itself. It is then advertised for what is termed an ‘opposition period’, which enables other to lodge a complaint or objection re the application. However, objections are rare and the most of trademark applications progress straight through to registration. The actual trademark registration is approved, the business will receive certification and approval for the exclusive user for this specified trademark for the range of goods and services applied for under the application.
