How to Protect Your Trademark on an International Scale

Miami FL

07 January, 2021

1:59 PM

Description

Holding a trademark is one of the most valuable steps you can take for your business. However, understanding which protections will apply internationally is key to protecting your trademark in an increasingly globalized and competitive business landscape. Whether you are a retail business reaching Asian customers or a manufacturing firm shipping goods to Europe, establishing a trademark that carries weight in countries worldwide is crucial. Understanding the steps you need to take at the outset of the trademark process will make it that much easier to ensure it is strong on an international scale. Consider taking some of the steps below to ensure your trademark rights are protected no matter where in the world you're doing business. Make Your Mark a Strong One The logo you choose is often the first thing a customer will recognize when identifying your brand, and a strong trademark works the same way. As such, it's important to think critically about choosing the right trademark and take care that it's being registered in the correct format. The United States Patent and Trademark Office recommends avoiding generic or overly descriptive language in your trademark, as the former won't guarantee protection, and the latter will make it easy for someone else to infringe upon. Instead, your trademark should only hint at the product or service being offered and be strong enough to carry its own weight in an international market eventually. For example, Nike and Starbucks have highly distinguishable trademarks, no matter where they're doing business. Register with the USPTO Speaking of the USPTO, you will definitely want to take steps toward registering your trademark with this office since it's relatively easy to complete and carries weight when you're preparing to file internationally. Moreover, a U.S. trademark filing will give you up to six months to file your trademark in other parts of the world, giving you a head start when you're gearing up to take your company's product or service offerings worldwide. While registering a trademark in the U.S. is easier than in some other countries, it's still quite an involved process that usually requires an experienced attorney's oversight. You'll need to do a thorough search to ensure your trademark doesn't yet exist, determine which international classes should form part of your trademark registration and more. Don't Try to Do It All Once your trademark has been created and registered, avoid the mistake of taking on a global effort to register your trademark everywhere in the world. Instead, take a close look at the international markets in which you are or plan to do business, and approach this exercise from both a short- and long-term perspective. Are you currently exploring opportunities in Asia? Thinking that Europe will soon become a major market for your business? Or have a 10-year plan to enter the Middle East? While it may seem a way off, registering your trademark internationally as quickly as possible is always recommended to avoid intellectual property issues down the line.