If you start your own business, start a business is easy task but the journey doesn’t stop there. Now it’s time to build your brand; to distinguish your own goods, services and ethos from your competitors (both current and would-be). It’s time to start establishing the unique name and image of your business as the ultimate mark of quality in your chosen field or industry.
A registered trademark (®) provides your startup with proprietary rights over its intellectual property (IP), safeguarding your brand from being copied or reappropriated.
Things you can trademark include a single word (such as your business’ brand name), a symbol or drawing (your logo, for instance), or a tune or sound (like the jingle that accompanies your startup’s branding in TV or radio advertising).
You can also acquire a trademark for colours, packaging… even fragrances. The opportunities are endless, as are the benefits for businesses.
Let’s take the example of Information technology company “Apple”. The name, the branding , and the slogan (“Think different”) are all examples of how crucial trademarks are to a company’s image. Even Apple’ iconic, almost amazing and differentiate from other.
Without a trademark for any of that, Apple’s would have been plagued by armies of copycat businesses, piggy-backing their way to a quick buck off the back of Apple’s’ super sized success.
Apple’s is well aware of the importance of trademarks, too (just look at the vehemence of its legal pursuit of Irish restaurant chain “Supermacs” as all the evidence you need of that), as does any other business worth its salt.
It’s clear, then, that trademarks aren’t to be taken lightly. Moreover, they’re basically indispensable for businesses – especially those just starting out (even Apple’s was a startup once, after all). So, does your startup need a trademark?
