How do you protect your trademark around the world?

It is important to understand that a right over a trademark is a restriction on commerce. Once a trademark is granted to a market the others may not use an identical or substantially similar trademark to mark the same class of products.

 Register trademark in Vietnam

Now since trademark owners must use its trademark to keep their rights and since trademark law is regulated mostly State by State it is not possible to protect a trademark unless you really participate in all demographic markets of the world, like Coca-Cola, although there are places of the works where Coca-Cola is not sold.

There are some internal systems which allows you to protect a trademark in several countries with one registration. Nevertheless, if you don't really use that trademark in each of those countries you may end up loosing it because trademarks must be used.

Finally, keep in mind that if you want to protect your trademark globally you will need to have a good trademark protection and prosecution strategy.

ANT Lawyers - A Law firm in Vietnam is supported by a team of experienced patent, trademark, design attorneys with qualification and skills handling full range of legal services relating to intellectual property rights in Vietnam.  We have specialized in the preparation and registration of patents, trademarks and designs for our clients.

Source: Quora

Read More

Should I trademark nationally or internationally if I will be taking clients worldwide?

Trademarks are intangible assets, and can be bought, sold or licensed, making your company more valuable Trademark establishes a link between enterprise and customer.  A strong trademark will attract customers to use goods or services.

Do you have to buy trademark in all countries? 

What's the best way to register an international trademark?

However, you have to analyze your company to determine the value in seeking trademark protection in foreign countries. An experienced intellectual property (IP) attorney is the best person to speak to regarding this decision. There is a mechanism for obtaining a trademark in other countries: the  Madrid Protocol

International Trademark Registration Under Madrid Protocol/ Agreement

To sum it up, you should first file for a trademark in your home country. From there, your country will forward it to WIPO. After WIPO examines it, and hopefully approve it, it will send you a certificate of your international registration and notify the IP Offices in all the territories where you seek trademark protection in. The last step is for those territories to make a decision within the time limit (12 or 18 months) in accordance with their own rules. WIPO will record the decisions of the IP Offices in the International Register and notify you when they are made. If a particular Office refuses to grant protection, you can contest a refusal decision directly before it. Conversely, if an IP Office accepts to protect your mark, it will issue a statement of grant of protection.

Read More

International Trademark Registration Under Madrid Protocol/ Agreement

Trademark is the asset of individuals, and organizations which is protected independently in each nation therefore a trademark being registered in a country would still be a subject of violation in another country because it is not yet registered.

Currently based on a trademark patent or a national trademark application, by filing an international application, the trademark owner shall acquire the right of trademark registration in some or all members of the Madrid system.

With highly professional staff and great experience in intellectual property practice in Vietnam, ANT Lawyers would support the in registering your trademark under Madrid Protocol/ Agreement (Madrid System)

Conditions of international registration under Madrid System

People who have been granted the Certificate of Trademark Registration in Vietnam have the right to register their respective international trademarks under the Madrid Agreement;

People who have already filed an application for registration of a trademark in Vietnam and who have been granted a certificate of registration of a trademark in Vietnam shall have the right to make an international registration of the mark corresponding to the Madrid Protocol.

International registration application originating from Vietnam

An application for international registration of a mark designating a contracting party to the Madrid Agreement as a country to be registered and not designating any country member of the Madrid Protocol must be made in French.

An application for international registration of marks designating at least one member country of the Madrid Protocol, including the designation of a country party to the Madrid Agreement, must be made in English or French.

The declaration shall be as form provided by Vietnamese competent Authorities. The declaration shall designate the countries being parties of the Madrid Agreement (may simultaneously be a Member of the Madrid Protocol) and the country member of the Madrid Protocol to which the applicant wishes to apply for trademark protection.

The applicant shall ensure all information is accurate and in accordance with information in attached document.

International registration office for application from Vietnam

International application shall be filled at International Bureau through National Office of Intellectual Property of Vietnam

The date the National Office of Intellectual Property receives the application for international trademark registration shall be the date of the filing if the International Bureau receives the application within two months from the date of receipt. If the application is not completed for submission to the International Bureau within the above time limit, the date of receipt shall be the date of filing the application to the International Bureau.

Read More