What is the role of a company’s registered trademark? Why should we register a trademark? You will understand after reading the editor’s summary of what a trademark registration company does! The article is shared with everyone. You are welcome to read it. It is for reference only. !What does a trademark registration company do?
The trademark registrant enjoys the exclusive right to use the trademark, and also has the right to license others to use the trademark for remuneration. The length of protection for trademark rights varies from country to country, but after the expiration, the trademark can be renewed for any number of times as long as additional fees are paid. Trademark protection is implemented by courts or administrative agencies. In most systems, courts and administrative agencies that manage trademarks have the power to stop trademark infringements. Generally speaking, court decisions have final effect. Broadly speaking, a trademark is a reward for the trademark registrant, allowing its goods or services to gain recognition and economic benefits. A trademark also encourages creativity and a positive attitude. Trademark protection also prevents unscrupulous competitors, such as counterfeiters, from using the same or similar marks to promote inferior or different products or services. The trademark system enables skilled and enterprising people to produce and sell goods and services under the fairest possible conditions, thereby promoting the development of international trade. Why register a trademark? Benefits of trademark registration
1. It makes it easier for consumers to recognize the brand and shop.
2. The trademark registrant has the exclusive right to use the trademark and is protected by law.
3. Through trademark registration, you can create a brand and occupy the market first.
4. A trademark is an intangible asset and its value can be evaluated.
5. Trademarks can be transferred, licensed to others, or pledged to realize their value.
6. Trademark is also a necessary condition for quality inspection, health inspection, bar code, etc.
7. Local industrial and commercial bureaus at all levels supervise the quality of goods and services through trademark management. How to register a trademark
Choose your favorite trademark. The range of choices includes text, graphics, numbers, letters, color combinations, and any combination of the above elements. Under the latest trademark law, sounds can also be registered as trademarks.
Go to the official database and trademark query system? China Trademark Network? to query the status of previous registrations, evaluate the registration risks, make repeated revisions, and finally determine the trademark to be registered and create a trademark logo pattern.
Prepare trademark registration application materials:
1. Trademark registration application;
2. Letter of attorney (if entrusting an agency);
3. Main body certification materials (personal ID card and individual business license, company's corporate business license).
4. Submit application materials. It must be submitted in person at the registration hall of the State Trademark Office.
5. Wait for formal review by the Trademark Office. After passing the review, a trademark acceptance notice will be issued. It takes about 60-80 working days (that is, about 3-4 months). If the formal review is not passed, you need to make corrections or resubmit the application.
After receiving the trademark acceptance notice, you can mark the trademark with the TM logo for use.
6. It takes about 16 months from submitting the application to finally getting the trademark registration certificate. The acceptance is issued about 3 months after the application is submitted. The first 9 months after acceptance are the review schedule, and the subsequent Three months is the announcement period after passing the Trademark Office review, and the final period is about one month for the production and issuance of the certificate. Applicants need to always pay attention to whether there are objections raised by others during the announcement period, and submit an opposition defense letter according to the objection defense notice issued by the Trademark Office to safeguard their legitimate rights and interests.
7. After the above process, if it goes well, you can get the trademark registration certificate. The trademark registration protection period is 10 years. You can apply for trademark renewal 12 months before expiration. The official fee is 2,000 yuan (it can also be renewed within the extension period within 6 months after expiration, but you need to pay an additional extension fee of 500 yuan). , after this renewal, the term of the exclusive right to use the trademark will be extended for 10 years, and can be repeatedly renewed and extended.
Notes: The entire registration process spans approximately one year. Applicants must always pay attention to changes in the status of the trademark and accept documents issued by the Trademark Office in a timely manner to avoid unexpected trademark occurrences.
If the applicant entrusts an agency registered with the National Trademark Office to handle trademark registration matters on his or her behalf, he only needs to sign the application form and authorization letter produced by the agency, and hand over the trademark logo and subject certification documents to the agency. The agency will handle the remaining matters. The professional trademark attorney in the agency handles it with full authority. The importance of registering a trademark and applying for a patent
The most important thing is to use a trademark, because it is just a sign that distinguishes other goods and services. The focus of patents is on exclusivity, which makes it possible to seize the market. Strictly speaking, if others do not infringe on your trademark rights, you do not need to rely on trademarks to attack competitors (except that you can compete and compare with your opponents in terms of branding and product quality, but this is not the function of the trademark itself). But patents can.
If a company only applies for a trademark but does not have relevant patents for protection, then the company’s intellectual property protection is still very rudimentary. Others can still use patent rights to defeat you. Don't say that the products you produce have no technical content. There is a kind of patent right called a design patent, and its main purpose is to protect the "design". my country's Patent Law implements the first-to-file principle. There is no prior use like a trademark, nor does it protect products or methods that have been used before but have not been patented. The following will introduce to you the consequences of several types of companies that do not pay attention to trademark registration or patent application issues, resulting in trademarks being registered by others and patents being infringed.
1. The company's products are mass products and are at the same level as those of its competitors. It is believed that it does not matter whether the company registers a trademark or not, and the company only needs to provide good services. After the company has provided good services, the company has developed. Now it is discovered that it sells not only products, but also services. I want to distinguish the quality of my services from competitors, so I want to register the company name as a trademark. Unfortunately, it has been Someone else has registered.
2. When a company is first established, it is small in scale and one-sidedly believes that it does not matter if it needs a trademark. It even thinks that the company name is the corporate brand and there is no need to register a trademark. As the company grows, it is discovered that its company name has been trademarked by someone else, and the company has to register another trademark and even re-brand.
3. The enterprise is a trading (or agency) company that sells products of other manufacturers, such as exclusive agency companies, brand agents, and other non-production companies. They often feel that there is no need to build their own products. brand. However, when the company develops into a chain operation, it is discovered that its company name has been registered as a trademark by others or that the company has spent several years promoting other people's products (the products being represented). After the agency is terminated, it is discovered that the brand name Strategically, we made a wedding dress for others, while neglecting to build our own corporate brand.
4. The enterprise is beginning to take shape and already has a registered trademark or even 10 registered trademarks. At this time, the enterprise often thinks that the trademark registration protection is in place and can rest assured. However, at this time It is often the most dangerous for enterprises, because as enterprises grow (trademark popularity expands), the phenomenon of famous brands begins to appear. Some small businesses begin to engage in unfair competition around the trademarks of successful enterprises, and they gradually change from the past few years. Counterfeit trademarks have emerged and begun to engage in unfair competition under the guise of legality (commonly referred to as sidekicks). Therefore, applying for a patent is also an urgent need and must be done. Only in this way can you protect your own interests.
Therefore, if you want to fully protect intellectual property rights, you cannot just register a trademark or apply for a patent. You must protect intellectual property rights as a whole and formulate relevant strategies. Trademark registration