The trademark registration process is one of the first steps taken by an entrepreneur to realize his idea or protect his brand. Trademark registration processes are of great importance in terms of protecting the brand, ensuring competitive advantage and establishing consumer trust. Faruk Yamankaradeniz, CEO of Destek Patent, one of the leading companies providing consultancy and attorney services in the field of industrial rights, shared 5 important points that should not be ignored in the trademark registration processes of entrepreneurs.
Due to the rise in the entrepreneurship ecosystem, the number of established companies is also increasing rapidly. Brand registration processes play an important role in the process of entrepreneurs realizing a brand. Trademark registration provides a positive impact for enterprise owners, enabling them to have a corporate structure in both their commercial relations and investment organizations.
Faruk Yamankaradeniz, CEO of Destek Patent, which has been serving in the field of industrial rights for more than forty years, explained 5 important items that entrepreneurs should pay attention to both in the trademark registration processes and in the subsequent stages.
Don't Neglect Doing Brand Research!
After deciding on their brand, entrepreneurs must choose areas that comply with the current communiqué on goods and services classes in accordance with their sector of activity. When deciding on these classes, it will be advantageous for entrepreneurs to act in accordance with the sectors they aim to use both in the current and in the near term.
The fact that indistinguishably similar or identical brand names have already been registered is one of the main reasons that makes it difficult for entrepreneurs to register their brands. For this reason, the first step of the entrepreneurs is to conduct a similarity research on the brand name and to apply for a trademark by determining the brand names that will be as unique as possible according to the sector in which they will operate, so as not to face any difficulties when starting the registration process.
Protection in One Country Only is Not Enough!
Since trademark registration is based on territoriality, it is protected only in the countries where it is registered. For startups whose market target is abroad, it may be an additional advantage to complete their process by applying for trademark registration not only in Turkey but also abroad in the targeted country. While expanding into different markets, entrepreneurs can especially protect their trademark registered in Turkey abroad, if any, by using international trade or various systems in the countries where they aim to expand globally.
If entrepreneurs are not registered in countries abroad, the risk of the relevant trademark being registered by third parties increases; It can make it easier to compete in the same market with the same brand. In this way, entrepreneurs can avoid these risks by applying for trademarks not only in their country but also in countries abroad.
International trademark registration is a critical step to gain competitive advantage in the global market. Since the protection of a trademark both in our country and around the world begins with the registration process, it plays a critical role in moving exporting or targeted enterprises to the international level. At this point, initiatives that want to expand into international markets need to be supported more frequently by spreading awareness about incentives in foreign trademark registration processes in our country.
It is very important to carry out your processes with trademark attorneys…
Trademark registration processes vary internationally. Each country's trademark and patent offices, application processes, legal requirements, procedures and legislation are different. For trademark registration, it is important to comply with the laws in every country and manage the application process effectively. However, considering the complexity of these processes and the differences between countries, it is very important to work with trademark attorneys. Trademark attorneys provide the knowledge, experience and expertise required to protect companies' trademark rights in the international market. It is of great importance to work with trademark attorneys as they closely follow updated legal regulations and changes in trademark registration processes. However, it is of great importance for entrepreneurs to pay attention to some nuances when choosing a representative. For example; First of all, they need to make sure that the attorneys they choose are registered with the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office. Apart from this, they need to take into account the legal processes in all areas of industrial rights, domestic and international application processes, in short, the experience and experience of the attorneys they will work with in industrial property rights.
Make Your Brand Protection Sustainable!
It is possible for entrepreneurs to register their trademarks both in Turkey and abroad to prevent serious financial losses, legal problems and damage to brand reputation. However, trademark registration alone is not enough to prevent risks. Unfortunately, it is a very common idea that a registered trademark cannot be imitated. However, registration alone is not sufficient to protect the trademark. In order to ensure the protection of the registered trademark, it is necessary to strengthen the protection by conducting global trademark monitoring, tracking the variations in which countries it has been applied by third parties, and providing consultancy accordingly. By regularly monitoring the brands, the brand is systematically monitored and counterfeit brands are detected and violations of trademark rights are prevented.
Customs Protection Against the Danger of Counterfeit Products!
Customs protection is also an extremely important transaction item. When customs protection is not implemented, the risk of copies of products with the same or similar brand names and the introduction of counterfeit products into the market increases, and the entry/exit of these products into countries cannot be prevented. These counterfeit products can often cause quality issues, resulting in customer dissatisfaction. At this point, customs protection is an extremely important step in order to prevent possible negative situations (loss of profit and prestige, etc.) by preventing international trade of the product with the same or similar brand name during the registration period.