If you have decided to get a trademark for your business brand name or service and want to know about the types of trademark registration, here is in-depth knowledge about it. So, let’s check out how to register your startup in India as a trademark successfully.
A trademark is one of the most crucial elements responsible for increasing the credibility of your business and safeguarding your products’ rights. A trademark can be a unique name, slogan, logo, or tagline. Without a trademark, the target consumer will not be able to tell whether your business is credible or not.
A trademark helps elevate your brand’s identity and makes your business stand out from the competition. Whether you consider the example of Audi or BMW’s logos, or the brand name “Maggi,” all of these fall under the category of trademarks that help brands connect with the audience. Let’s try to understand the concept of trademarks and the types of trademark registration.
What is a Trademark?
A trademark is an identifiable name, logo, tagline, or slogan that helps a brand stand out from the competition. Not only does a trademark distinguish a brand from other businesses, but it also sets the products or services apart from the competition as well.
If you have a unique product or service that you are offering to your target consumer, it is better to get a trademark registered. You can also get the trademark renewal process done online. By understanding the types of trademarks, you can protect your logo or name from being copied or used by any other business for their advantage. Besides these advantages, online trademark registration also adds to the goodwill of a business.
Importance of a Trademark for a Business
A trademark is important for the consistent growth of any business. We have already mentioned a handful of reasons that reflect the significance of a trademark, but let’s dive into its importance deeply and try to have a better understanding of it.
Brand Individuality: Among thousands of similar businesses, a trademark adds a significant amount of credibility to your business. It makes your brand and products or services stand out from the rest.
Recognition: A trademark acts as a symbol of your business’s identity. Whether it is a logo or a slogan, a trademark holds the power to make people remember your brand. It helps people recognize your brand easily without having to think too much.
Protection: Just like copyright, a trademark is responsible for protecting your brand’s name or logo from being misused by others for their advantage. Once you have registered your trademark, no one can use your brand name or logo without your permission.
Never-Ending Longevity: Once you get a trademark registered, it will last forever. The registration will need to be renewed every ten years, but the brand identity will consistently grow.
These are a few reasons why trademark registration in India is crucial for you to enhance your business. Getting your trademark registered is a huge step toward the growth of your company and a wise choice to protect your business or product from unwanted misuse. After knowing its importance, you can protect yourself from mistakes during the registration process.
Types of Trademarks in India
Now that you understand what trademark registration in India is and how crucial it is for any company to grow and succeed, let’s explore the different types of trademarks you should be familiar with.
It is important to note that regardless of the types of trademarks, their purpose is the same: to help the consumer identify products or services coming from a certain service provider or product manufacturer.
1. Product Mark: This type of trademark is used for goods or products instead of services. A product mark helps the consumer recognize its manufacturer and enhances the brand value of any business.
2. Service Mark: Service marks help consumers recognize the service provider. This type of mark is used only on services instead of products and helps in building the credibility of the service provider.
3. Collective Mark: Collective marks inform people about certain unique features of a product or service. This can be used by a group of individuals, such as an association or a Section 8 Company, to protect goods and services collectively.
4. Certification Mark: Certification marks elevate a product’s credibility among consumers by indicating that the product has undergone a series of standard checks.
5. Shape Mark: Shape marks safeguard the unique shape of a product, protecting it from being copied by any other business.
6. Pattern Mark: Similar to shape marks, pattern marks can be registered if a product has distinguished and unique patterns.
7. Sound Mark: Trademarks are not just confined to products and services; they also protect sounds. For instance, the IPL tune is very popular among cricket fans and is registered as a sound trademark.
These types of trademarks in India help safeguard businesses, products, and services while elevating the growth of companies.
Process of Trademark Registration in India
Now that you have a greater understanding of trademarks and their importance for business growth, you might be wondering how they are actually registered.
In India, trademark registration is carried out online with a hassle-free and quick process. The online trademark registration process is highly popular and efficient. The process consists of four steps:
Step 1: Trademark search
Step 2: Preparing your application
Step 3: Submitting the application
Step 4: Government processing
Once these four steps have been completed, your trademark is registered successfully. Let JustStart’s expert legal consultants help you with your trademark registration process. JustStart offers top-notch legal solutions to help your business run smoothly.
