Intellectual
property
Intellectual
property
Trademarks
A trademark right protects the name of a company, a product range, or a product.
But it is also the right tool to protect a logo, an icon, or even sometimes the shape of a product, a smell, or music.
A trademark is always defined by several elements:
- The sign: it can be a word (word mark), a graphic (figurative mark), or a combination of words and graphics (semi-figurative mark). It is important to define the sign precisely, as trademark offices may refuse registration if the sign is incorrectly chosen.
- Protected activities: these are defined by an international classification, which covers all existing goods and services. The definition must be precise and clear.
- The territory: a trademark is protected for one or more countries, and a strategy must therefore be defined that is adapted to your needs.
It is an extremely useful tool to prevent a competitor from using an identical or similar name, but also to intervene on social networks and control your image. We can also use a trademark to recover a domain name that has been registered in bad faith or breaching on your rights.
Designs
A design right protects the appearance of a product (in 3D) or a design (in 2D), provided that this appearance is new and has certain originality. It can therefore be used to protect new products, or software screens (graphical interfaces), but also a logo or an icon.
As a design must be new, it is essential to protect it before communicating it to partners or marketing it! In the European Union, a grace period of 12 months exists, but this is not the case in all other countries.
As a design right is also protected for one or more specific countries, a protection strategy must be established that incorporates the novelty requirements (after 6 months after the first filing, it will no longer be possible to obtain protection in many countries).
Patents
A patent right protects an invention of a technical nature, provided that it is new and inventive. It, therefore, protects the product, or a process for obtaining a product.
Because of the novelty requirement, it is essential to file your patent application before any publication or communication, otherwise, your rights may be invalidated.
A patent can cover simple or complex inventions.
Do not hesitate to contact us so that we can check whether your invention is protectable!