LAUNCHING NEW PRODUCTS IN THE MARKET

UnleashingthePowerofBrandingthrough
Trademarks
(updated2006)

CarolineSchwabProgramofficer
SmallandMediumSizedEnterprisesDivision
WIPOWorldIntellectualPropertyOrganization

Branding and
trademarks are keys
to success in business
and in the global
market

YESTERDAYS OPERATION:
- Technology Brands
- E-mails Campaigns
- PR in place of advertising
- Viral Marketing
TODAY:
- Lifestyle Brand
- Authenticity Marketing
- Product Placement
- Viral Marketing
- Brand Culture

WhatisBranding
Brandingistheprocessbywhichthe
nameortheidentifyofanowner,a
company/enterpriseororganization,is
communicated.
Brandingallowsacompanytodifferentiate
itsproductsandservicesfromthe
competitionbycreatingabondwithits
customers.Itaimstocreatecustomer
loyalty.
Thisway,acompanytakesapositioninthe
marketplace.

WhatisBranding
Awaybywhichcompanieslaunchandsell
goods&services.
Abrandnameissometimesmadeofapart
orthetotalityofatrademarkname
Itcommunicatestheessenceofaproducts
oritsline,includingwhyitisgreatandhow
itisbetterthanallcompetingproducts.
Itreflectsingeneralaprestigious(aesthetic)
imageinordertoattractmoreconsumers.

SUCCESSFULBRANDING
Attracts/catchestheconsumers

Developingabrandispartofeverystrategic
businessplan
Targetwhatcustomerscareabout:articulate
precisevaluesandqualitiesthatarerelevant
andofdirectinterest
Emphasizefeaturesthatarebothimportantto
consumerandquitedifferentiatedfrom
competitors
Communicateconstantinnovatingbrandimage
atalllevelsofoperation

THE PINK PANTHER IS A WORLDWIDE

PROTECTED CHARACTER USED AS A MARK, AS A
COPYRIGHT & AS AN INDUSTRIAL DESIGN.

TRADEMARKS
AREFOREVER

10Pointsabout
TRADEMARKS

Before launching a trademark - key to success is

CLEARANCE

10POINTSABOUTTRADEMARKS
1.ProductorserviceImage(Identity)
2.Distinguishgoodsorservicesamongothers
3.Playapivotalroleinthebranding/marketingStrategy
4.Canbeextendedtoanycountry
5.Definesacertainimagebuildsareputation
6.Isamarketingtoolenablinglicensing&franchising
7.IsavaluableIPbusinessasset
8.Encouragecompaniestoinvest,maintain
andimproveproductquality
9.Onceprotected,areusefulforobtainingfinancing
10.Canbeputinthestockexchange

WhatisaTrademark?

ABRANDNAMEAKINDOFVISITCARDTHAT
PROMOTESTHEIMAGEOFACOMPANY
ANDITSRANGEOFGOODS&SERVICES.
Asigndistinguishinggoodsorservices
producedorsoldbyoneenterprise(fromthose
ofotherenterprises).

ATRADEMARKISMADEOF:
AnyDistinctiveWords,Letters,Numerals,
Pictures,Shapes,Colors,Logotypes,Labels
Examples:

Lesstraditionalforms
Singlecolors(LouisVuitton)
Threedimensionalsigns
(shapesofproducts
orpackaging)
Audiblesigns(sounds)
Olfactorysigns(perfume)

TypesofTrademarks?

Trademarks:todistinguishgoods
Servicemarks:todistinguishservices
Collectivemarks:todistinguishgoodsorservicesby
membersofanassociation
Certificationmarks
Wellknownmarks:benefitfromstrongerprotection
Tradename(Brandname)

ThefunctionofaTrademark
ALLOWSCOMPANIESTOMARKA
TERRITORY,EXPRESSINGSPECIFIC
FUNCTIONSAMONGSIMILARPRODUCTSIN
THEMARKET.
ENSURESTHATCONSUMERSCANIDENTIFYA
LINEOFPRODUCTS.
ENSURESEXTENSIONOFTHEMARK
THROUGHLICENSINGORFRANCHISING
PROCESS.

THEVALUEOFATRADEMARK?
AMARKETINGTOOL
SOURCEOFREVENUETHROUGHLICENSING
CRUCIALCOMPONENTOFFRANCHISING
AGREEMENTS
USEFULFOROBTAININGBANKSORTHIRD
PARTFINANCE
AVALUABLEBUSINESSASSET

TheValueofTrademarks

GlobalBrandScoreboard

1.

COCACOLA

67.52$billion

2.

MICROSOFT

59.95$billion

3.

IBM

53.37$billion

4.

GE

46.99$billion

5.

INTEL

35.58$billion

(GermansurveyJanuary17,2006)

Trademarkprotection>
Registration=

EXCLUSIVERIGHTSPREVENTOTHERSFROMMARKETING
PRODUCTSUNDERSAMEORCONFUSINGLYSIMILARMARK

SECURESINVESTMENTINMARKETINGEFFORT

PROMOTESCUSTOMERLOYALTY/REPUTATION/IMAGEOF
COMPANY

PROVIDESCOVERAGEINRELEVANTMARKETSWHERE
BUSINESSOPERATES

REGISTEREDMARKSFORLICENSEORBASISFRANCHISING
AGREEMENTS

PRACTICALASPECTS
Creating/selectingatrademarkafterCLEARANCE
searchingworldwidethatthereisnotasimilarone
yetlegallyprotected
AvoidIPofficesrefusalsoroppositions
Protectingatrademarkthroughnational,regional
andWIPOregistrationsystem(Madrid&Protocol)
Usingandmaintainingatrademark(payingfees,
followingnotificationofrefusals,extendingterritory)
EnforcingatrademarkbyInnovating(newproducts)

Whattoavoidwhenselecting
aTrademark
Genericterms:CHAIRtosellchairs
Descriptiveterms:SWEETtosellchocolates
Deceptiveterms:ORWOOLAfor100%synthetic
material

MARKSCONTRARYTOPUBLICORDERand
MORALITY
AVOIDUSINGFLAGS,ARMORIALBEARINGS,
OFFICIALHALLMARKS,EMBLEMSWITHOUT
LEGALAUTHORIZATION

WhattoRememberwhen
selectingTrademark?

Inherentlydistinctive
Coinedorfancifulwords:Kodak
Arbitrarymarks:appleforcomputers
Suggestivemarks:SUNNYforheaters
Easytomemorizeandpronounce
Fitsproductorimageofthebusiness
Hasnolegalrestrictions
Reasonsforrejection
TMsearch>notidenticalorconfusinglysimilartoexisting
TM
Hasapositiveconnotation
Suitableforexportmarkets
Correspondingdomainnameavailable

ProtectingaTM
throughregistration

Theapplicantcanfilearequestthroughhisnationaloffice
RightafterfilingthroughtheIPOffice,atrademarkcanbefiledat
WIPO(Madrid&Protocol)savingtimeandmoney
WIPOoffersfreeassistance,information&guidelines
Filingapplicationform,contactdetails,graphicillustrationof
mark,descriptionofgoods,fees
Registrationcertificatevalidfor10years
Renewal&Publication(CDRooms/Gazette)

TheIPnationalofficeistheonlyauthorityinchargeof:
Formalexamination
Substantiveexamination
Publicationandopposition

MadridSystemforthe
InternationalRegistrationofMarks

TheMadridsystemfortheinternationalregistration
ofmarks(theMadridsystem)establishedin1891
functionsundertheMadridAgreement(1891),andthe
MadridProtocol(1989)areadministeredbythe
InternationalBureauofWIPOlocatedinGeneva,
Switzerland.
Thissystemforaninternationalprotectionof
TrademarksandBrandsisadoptedbymorethan
70memberstatesofWIPO,membersofthe
MADRIDUNION

MadridSystemforthe
InternationalRegistrationofMarks
TheMadridandtheProtocolsystemoffersthepossibility
torecordatrademarkin78countriesatonce.
However,ownershastogothroughtheirownnational
officetopresenttheirrequesttoWIPO
WIPOHASMADEPOSSIBLEAFREESEARCHON
LINEOFROMARIN
INFORMATIONONTRADEMARKSRECORDEDATWIPO .

http://www.wipo.int/madrid/en/services/
MANYREGISTRIESFORSEARCHAREAVAILABLEINTHE
PRIVATESECTORORVIATHEIPOFFICES,COUNTRYBY
COUNTRY.

ProtectingaTM
throughregistration
Itiscriticaltoregisteryourtrademarkinall
classesinwhichyouuseorintendtouseyour
trademark.
Themostwidelyusedclassificationsystem
(Nicehas34classesforgoodsand11for
services.
SomeTMofficessuchasinUSandCanada
requiretheproofthattheTMisusedwithina
year.

ProtectingaTM
throughregistration
Asubstantiveexaminationmayberequiredif
thereisaconflictwithanexistingMarkon
theregister.
SomecountriespublishtheTMinajournal
allowing3rdpartiestoopposeduringagiven
period.
Onceitisdecidedthatthereisnogroundsfor
refusal,acertificateisissuedwhichisvalid
for10years.
Registrationcanberenewedindefinitelybut
maybecancelledifTMisnotactivelyused
foracertainperiodstatedintheTMlaw.

SCOPEOFRIGHTS

THEEXCLUSIVERIGHTTOUSETHEMARK
THERIGHTTOPREVENTOTHERSFROMUSINGAN
IDENTICALORSIMILARMARKFORIDENTICALOR
SIMILARGOODSORSERVICES
THERIGHTTOPREVENTOTHERSFORMUSINGAN
IDENTICALORSIMILARMARKFORDISSIMILARGOODS
ORSERVICES

KEEPINMIND

THETIMEITTAKESTOREGISTERATM

THECOSTSASSOCIATEDWITHTMPROTECTION

THENEEDFORATRADEMARKSEARCHFREEAT
WIPO

ATRADEMARKAGENTMAYBEREQUIRED

PROTECTINGATHOMEANDABROAD

RENEWINGYOURREGISTRATION&PAYINGFEES

PROTECTINGATHOME
ANDABROAD

THENATIONALROUTE
Eachcountrywhereyouseekprotection

THEREGIONALROUTE(forsomecountriesonly)
Countriesmembersofaregionaltrademarksystem:African
RegionalIndustrialPropertyOffice;ASEANIPO;Benelux
TMoffice;OfficeforHarmonizationoftheInternalMarket
oftheEU;OrganisationAfricainedelaProprit
Intellectuelle
THEINTERNATIONALROUTE
UKJOINEDTHEMADRIDPROTOCOLEINDECEMBER
2005ISRAELMAYJOINVERYSOON
TheProtocol&MadridsystemadministeredbyWIPO
78membercountries

USINGATRADEMARK
ACTIVELYUSINGATM
USING/MAINTAININGATMINMARKETINGAND
ADVERTISING
USINGTHEMARKONTHEINTERNET
USINGTHEMARKASABUSINESSASSET

ACTIVELYUSINGA
TRADEMARK

OFFERINGTHEGOODSORSERVICES

AFFIXINGTHEMARKTOTHEGOODSORTHEIR
PACKAGING

IMPORTINGOREXPORTINGTHEGOODSUNDERTHE
MARK

USINGITONBUSINESSPAPERSORINADVERTISING

USINGATRADEMARKIN
ADVERTISING

USEEXACTLYASREGISTERED

ProtectTMfrombecominggeneric
Setapartfromsurroundingtext
Specifyfont,size,placementandcolors
Useasanadjectivenotasnounorverb
Notplural,possessiveorabbreviatedform
Useatrademarknoticeinadvertisingandlabeling

MONITORAUTHORIZEDUSERSOFTHEMARK
REVIEWPORTFOLIOOFTRADEMARKS
ANEVOLVINGTRADEMARK

USINGATMONTHE
INTERNET

USEOFTMONINTERNETMAYRAISE
CONTROVERSIALLEGALPROBLEMS

CONFLICTBETWEENTRADEMARKSANDDOMAIN
NAMES(INTERNETADDRESSES)CYBERSQUATTING

WIPOPROCEDUREFORDOMAINNAMEDISPUTE
(HTTP://ARBITER.WIPO.INT.DOMAINS)

USINGATRADEMARKAS
ABUSINESSASSET

LICENSING:OWNERRETAINSOWNERSHIPAND
AGREESTOTHEUSEOFTHETMBYOTHERCOMPANY
INEXCHANGEFORROYALTIES>LICENSING
AGREEMENT(BUSINESS
EXPANSION/DIVERSIFICATION)

FRANCHISING:LICENSINGOFATMCENTRALTO
FRANCHISINGAGREEMENT.THEFRANCHISER
ALLOWSFRANCHISEETOUSEHISWAYOFDOING
BUSINESS(TM,KNOWHOW,CUSTOMERSERVICE,S/W,
SHOPDECORATION.ETC)

SELLING/ASSIGNINGTMTOANOTHERCOMPANY
(MERGER&ACQUISITIONS/RAISINGOFCASH)

ENFORCING
TRADEMARKS

RESPONSIBILITYOFTMOWNERTOIDENTIFY
INFRINGEMENTANDDECIDEONMEASURES

CEASEANDDESISTLETTERTOALLEGED
INFRINGER

WIPOENFORCEMENTPROGRAMS

COOPERATIONWITHCUSTOMSAUTHORITIESTO
PREVENTCOUNTERFEITTRADEMARKGOODS

ARBITRATIONANDMEDIATION(PRESERVEBUSINESS
RELATIONS)

SMESGUIDEFOR
TRADEMARKS

THANK YOU FOR

YOUR ATTENTION
(end of part I)
www.wipo.int/sme/en
SUSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER ON-LINE

sme@wipo.int