Planning to trademark your business?
An appropriate trademark aids you in forming an eminent brand that emerges as a distinguished competitor. All the business owners should contemplate trademark protection sternly. Even though you can apply for trademark protection anytime, trademark approval is not assured even after spending a lot of money.
Hence, the best plan of action is to think about trademark protection from the initial stage when you are establishing your business.
Is Trademark Search Helpful?
Trademark rights are a result of trademarking a business. Trademarking a business also ensures that your name will not be used by competitors. The best strategy to avoid conflicts due to a similar trademark is to do a trademark search. Before opting a name for your business a compendious trademark search should be executed by the business owners.
Use of existing trademarks leads to legal issues. This causes change in brand name which consequently results into rebranding your entity.
Avoid Trademark Infringement
When you trade mark your business name without any delay you can refrain yourself from committing trademark infringement. An owner of a trademark might commence legal proceedings if you infringe its registered trademark.
Want to register a trademark?
When you apply for trademark registration, you can either apply on the basis of “intent to use” or “use in commerce”. “Intent to use” signifies that your trademark is not being used by you till date but you plan to use it in future.
IPIndia will process your application irrespective of the basis you choose. In case of “intent to use” you will be given Notice of Allowance (NOA) which is a conditional approval. Moreover IP India will inform you about the obstacles if there are any.
Bear in mind that application processing and approval takes several months.
Once your intent to use application is approved, you are supposed to start using the name within six months. You can request for extensions in case you are still dubious. But you must request extensions on time because failing to do so will lead to an abandonment of your application.
Synopsis
Protect your business name as soon as possible by applying for your trademark as it prevents any legal risk on your part. If you are thinking about Trademarking your business, apply for a trademark to attain exclusive rights of your trademark. This is the proactive and most effective way to safeguard your brand.
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