Most of the intellectual property rights we usually know about are word trademarks, graphic trademarks, copyrights, copyrights, etc. It is rare to register trademarks with sound. So what are the requirements for applying for a sound trademark? (1) Sound trademark registration should meet substantive conditions. Distinctiveness and non-functional distinctiveness are the soul of trademark protection. Sound trademarks should meet the same distinctiveness requirements as ordinary trademarks. Article 9 of the Trademark Law stipulates that the trademark applied for registration should have distinctive features and be easy to identify. The criterion for judging the distinctiveness of a sound trademark is whether consumers can distinguish the source of the goods or services from the auditory perspective based on the sound mark under normal circumstances of attention. For those general sounds that cannot realize the function of distinguishing the source of goods or services, such as ordinary birdsong and dog barking, trumpets, firecrackers, etc., they cannot be approved for registration. (2) The registration of sound trademarks must also meet non-functional requirements. The functionality of a mark means that the characteristics of the mark are generated by the nature of the goods themselves, are needed to obtain technical effects, or are indispensable for the goods to have substantial value. of. For example, an ordinary ATM machine will make a "clatter" sound when counting money. This sound is a functional sound and therefore cannot be registered as an ATM machine trademark. What is the process of registering a trademark? Registering a trademark is roughly divided into six steps, and the documents to be prepared are not complicated. (1) Choose the registration method. One is to apply for registration at the Trademark Office of the local government’s Administration for Industry and Commerce; the other is to entrust an experienced trademark agency to organize agency services. (2) Inquiry Before registration, it is best to find a more authoritative inquiry company, which can greatly reduce the risks of trademark registration and improve the certainty of trademark registration. The First Trademark Bureau provides free trademark inquiry services. (3) Prepare materials and prepare 10 trademark drawings, the length and width of which shall not be greater than 10 cm and not less than 5 cm. If the direction of the trademark drawing is unclear, arrows should be used to indicate the upper and lower parts; if an individual is applying, he or she must present his or her ID card and submit a copy If the application is from an enterprise, present a copy of the enterprise's "Business License" and submit a copy; a completed trademark registration application stamped with the company's official seal and personal signature. (4) Applicants to start applying for trademark registration must be legally established enterprises and institutions, social groups, individual industrial and commercial households, individual partnerships, countries that have signed an agreement with China or participated in international treaties with China or in accordance with the principle of reciprocity. foreigners and foreign enterprises. (5) Determination of the filing date Since trademark registration in my country adopts the first-to-file principle, once a trademark dispute occurs between you and another company, the company with the first filing date will be protected by law. Next are the three procedures of trademark review, preliminary review announcement, and registration announcement. It should be emphasized that for a trademark that has passed the preliminary review by the Trademark Office, registration can only be completed if an objection is raised by mistake three months after the announcement. The trademark is protected by law. The validity period of a registered trademark is ten years, calculated from the date of approval of registration. If the validity period expires and you need to continue to use it, you can apply for trademark renewal registration. (6) Obtain the trademark registration certificate