While most business realize the importance of using trademarks to differentiate their products from those of their competitors, not all realize the importance of protecting them through registration.
Without trademark registration, your investments in marketing a product may become wasteful as rival companies may use the same or a confusingly similar trademark for identical of similar product. If a competitor adopts a similar or identical trademark, customers could be misled into buying the competitor's product thinking it is your company's product. This could not only decrease your company's profits and confuse your costumers, but may also damage the reputation and image of your company, particularly if the rival product is of inferior quality.
Given the value of trademarks and the importance that a trademark may have in determining the success of a product in the marketplace, it is critical to make sure that it is registered in the relevant market(s).
In addition, it is much easier to licence a registered trademark to other companies, thus providing an additional source of revenue for your company, or may be the basis for a franchising agreement.
On occasion, a registered trademark with a good reputation among consumers may also be use to obtain funding from financial institutions that are increasingly aware of the importance of brands for business success.
( Making a Mark, an Introduction to Trademarks for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, WIPO)
No comments:
Post a Comment