What elements are eligible for registration as a trademark?

The following signs, among others, may constitute trademarks: The words or combination of words Images, figures, symbols, graphics, logos, monograms, portraits, labels, emblems and coats of arms Sounds and smells Letters and numbers A color delimited by a shape, or a combination of colors The shape of your products, containers or packaging.

What is the difference between trademark and patent registration?

Quite often, it is difficult to differentiate between the registration of a trademark and the registration of a patent. To simplify: The purpose of a patent is to encourage innovation, and registering a patent grants a monopoly to the person who creates the invention and subsequently develops it. A trademark, as noted, constitutes the registration of a sign or element granting a monopoly and thus allowing for distinguishing products and services in the market.

International trademark registration

At UR Global we carry out trademark registration processes for companies in Spain, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Portugal, Morocco, United States and Italy as part of our legal and tax advisory services.

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What is a trademark?

A trademark distinguishes products or services from the competition and protects their commercial identity. Its importance in business is clear: the public and consumers recognize and distinguish the quality of a product or service by way of the trademark that identifies it.

As an intangible asset of individuals and legal entities, a trademark can be invaluable and often worth far more than the product or service offered. It also conveys trust and assurance, helping consumers remember and choose your brand over others.

What are the risks of not registering a trademark?

There are brands with a worldwide reputation that inspire empathy and confidence in their quality, but trademark registration is not a process reserved for large brands. SMEs, startups and even individuals should also register their trademarks.

The risk of not owning the trademark is that another company, person or venture may start using it. This can lead to risks that may not initially be apparent, including:

Loss of the investments made to date to build awareness of the brand.
Loss of the reputation and positioning achieved.
Problems and difficulties when selling a business.
Financial and criminal risk arising from unknowingly using a third party’s trademark.

To avoid these risks, if you are working on a project or incorporating a company, it is advisable to register your trademark.

Why UR Global to register your trademark?

At UR Global, we have legal teams with specialist expertise in trademark registration in Spain, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Portugal, Morocco, the United States and Italy. Our team understands the strategic importance of protecting a trademark in every country where a company operates or plans to expand, whether through a subsidiary or simply by exporting its products or services, in order to avoid risks involving a local competitor.

Trademark registration grants the right to exclusive use of the trademark within the national territory, normally for a renewable period of ten years in most countries. This makes it possible to take legal action against third parties for misuse of the trademark and facilitates the granting of licences or franchises.

Frequently asked questions

About International trademark registration

At UR Global, given our experience in internationalizing hundreds of companies, as experts in legal and tax advice, we would recommend registering the trademark before commencing activity in a country.

First, by verifying the availability of the trademark and then executing the trademark registration itself to avoid risks and unpleasant surprises.

Trademark registration is not only advisable for product or service companies that have subsidiaries around the world, but also for those exporting companies. They run the risk of allowing the importer or distributor of the product to register the trademark, though the importer or distributor will do so in its own name, and that is where the problems will start.

The following signs, among others, may constitute trademarks:

The words or combination of words
Images, figures, symbols, graphics, logos, monograms, portraits, labels, emblems and coats of arms
Sounds and smells
Letters and numbers
A color delimited by a shape, or a combination of colors
The shape of your products, containers or packaging.

Quite often, it is difficult to differentiate between the registration of a trademark and the registration of a patent. To simplify:

The purpose of a patent is to encourage innovation, and registering a patent grants a monopoly to the person who creates the invention and subsequently develops it.
A trademark, as noted, constitutes the registration of a sign or element granting a monopoly and thus allowing for distinguishing products and services in the market.

International trademark registration

What is a trademark?

What are the risks of not registering a trademark?

Why UR Global to register your trademark?

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