Therefore, should one register a company on CIPC’s companies registry, the name of such company does not automatically get added to the trademarks registry. Failure to register the brand as a trade mark on the trademarks registry makes your company’s brand extremely vulnerable to unauthorised use by third parties.
A business’s Trade Mark is often among its most valuable assets. We offer a full range of trade mark related services in South Africa. Including the following services:
- Providing strategic brand creation and development advice
- Conducting Trade Mark availability searches and providing strategic related advice
- Filing of Trade Mark applications
- Prosecution of Trade Mark applications to registration
- Trade Mark renewals
- All Trade Mark related recordals including assignments, mergers, registered users and changes in proprietor details
- Trade Mark portfolio management
- Trade Mark oppositions
- Trade Mark infringement advice and assistance
- Cancellation / expungement proceedings
Please note that there are a lot of benefits to registering a brand name as a trademark. Some of the benefits are as follows:
- The exclusive right to use the mark (monopoly right)
- Prevent third parties from making unauthorised use of an identical or confusingly similar trade mark or business name
- Registration serves as a defence to any infringement action brought by a proprietor of an earlier registered trade mark
- You are granted the right to use the ® symbol