Why you need to trademark your small business?

There are some times when being big, or at least looking big, can be an advantage when you’re in business. Some of your customers and suppliers may think that big means more reliability, a better price and higher quality. While that may not be necessarily true, however if making your company look bigger brings in more profits, you may want to consider doing the things that will provide that image.

Many small business owners consider trademarking a matter for large corporations. However, registering a trademark to protect your intellectual property can be beneficial to many companies, from multinational corporations to small operations.

No matter the size of your business, you run the risk of trademark infringement each time you name a product, service, and your company. With an ever-growing number of trade names, do take the necessary steps to reduce your risk of trademark infringement.

What is a Trade Mark?

A trademark, basically, is a name, word, logo, or other symbol that represents your company, distinguishing the source of the goods of your company from those of others. This trademark is identified with that particular company and is an integral part of the corporate brand. Companies therefore protect its integrity while also establishing the symbol as undeniably theirs.

Why Is it Important for Your Business?

By registering a trade mark, the trademark owner acquires a right to prevent others from using the trade mark without given consent. A trade mark owner also prevents others from riding on the goodwill and reputation of his products and/or services by using a similar trade mark (passing off).

When another company decides to use a logo or business name similar to yours, this can affect your business, diminish your branding, and cause a lot of uncomfortable confusion. Simply having a registered trademark can win the case for you, because a trademark is a legal confirmation of your right to that symbol, name, or phrasing and can protect you from trademark infringement.

If you have a trademark registered in Singapore, you may also be able to register your trademark with other countries should you want to expand your sales to other nations. This is important because it gives you a foothold from which you can take your company to its highest possible level of success. If your trademark isn’t registered in your home country, it may be almost impossible to get it registered in foreign places.

How Do I Go About to Do This?

The process of registering a trade mark in Singapore is simple and can be summarized as
follows:
Searches
Application (with priority claims, if any)
Examination
Publication
Registration

A smooth registration usually takes about 4 months to complete.

Cost of Trademark Registration

The cost to register a trademark in Singapore is a small amount of $1600 for each class of your products and services and is condition to register trademark.

Use the ® Symbol on Your Trademark

After registering your name, it is vital to upkeep the value of your company or product name. This involves using your trade name throughout your company on websites, brochures, and invoices.
Don't forget to use the "®" symbol after you have approved registration from the federal trademark office. If you haven't registered your trademark, you can use the "tm" trademark symbol.

To provide complete trademark infringement protection, consult with a trademark attorney. Legal council should be part of your business operations. The risk avoidance will definitely overcome the costs.

Marilyn Tong, Creative Director, OVO Creatives