In many people's minds, a trademark is a symbol that can represent a company or enterprise, a product or a certain matter. And the same goes for brands. As soon as people see a well-known brand, they will automatically have an impression of it in their minds. So, are brands and trademarks the same thing? Next, I will introduce the relevant content to you. 1. Are brands and trademarks the same thing? There is a difference between the two. Brand is an economic term, and trademark is a legal term; brand and trademark are a pair of concepts that are easily confused. It is easy to mistakenly believe that a product becomes a brand after trademark registration. In fact, the two concepts are both related and different. Sometimes, the two concepts can be equivalently replaced, and the brand can become the common name of the trademark; but sometimes, the two concepts cannot be confused. The brand is not completely equivalent to the trademark, and the trademark is not the same as the trademark. It is completely equivalent to a brand; a brand can only be legally protected by registering a trademark. The differences are as follows: 1. Trademark is a legal concept, which is protected by the Trademark Law. Once registered, the right holder enjoys the exclusive right to use the trademark. And brand is an economic concept. 2. For enterprises, there are usually only a few brands, but trademarks can choose to register a series of trademarks. 3. The function of a trademark is to associate products with an enterprise and serve as an identifier. The brand is related to the overall image of the company, but the relationship between trademarks and brands is also very close. Companies usually register the brand as one of a series of trademarks. In fact, it has been proven that registering a brand as a trademark and protecting it with trademark law is the most convenient, effective and powerful way to protect an enterprise's goodwill. Therefore, in a sense, a corporate brand and a trademark can be the same, which is why people often equate brands and trademarks. In fact, a brand is broader in extension than a trademark.
2. Trademark registration procedure Trademark registration is a trademark legal procedure. The trademark registration applicant submits an application, and after review by the Trademark Office, a preliminary approval is announced. If no one raises an objection or the objection is ruled to be invalid, the trademark will be registered and effective, protected by law, and the trademark registrant shall have the exclusive right to the trademark. It takes about one to one and a half years from application to approval of registration for a trademark. There is no statutory time limit for the approval or rejection of a trademark registration application. The Trademark Office will review and announce the trademark, and then issue a trademark registration certificate. The trademark has been approved. The time period for trademark review may change at any time based on the speed of internal review at the Trademark Office. The validity period of a registered trademark is ten years, calculated from the date of approval of registration. If the registered trademark expires and needs to be continued to be used, you can apply for trademark renewal registration.
Legal basis: Article 3 of the "Trademark Law of the People's Republic of China" stipulates that trademarks approved and registered by the Trademark Office are registered trademarks, including commodity trademarks, service trademarks, collective trademarks, and certification trademarks; Trademark registrants enjoy exclusive rights to trademarks and are protected by law. The above is what I have introduced to you about whether brands and trademarks are the same thing. The two are not the same thing. It can be said that they are both different and closely related. In essence, brands are economic, while trademarks are legal, so people should also pay attention to treating them differently in specific situations.