6 steps to securing your brand and product on the internet

When attempting to promote a product, think about how to safeguard it and prevent infringing on the intellectual property rights of others. It’s important to consider how to successfully avoid infringements and respond to any attempted infringement of your exclusive territory early on in the planning process. You must be aware of your possibilities and choose the best approach for a certain product strategically. The rules of protecting intellectual property rights are global, and they apply to entrepreneurs who choose to conduct business through the Internet as well.

First and foremost, examine your product or service and become familiar with the tools that can assist you in properly protecting your intellectual and industrial property.

A trademark can be any symbol that serves to differentiate one company’s goods from those of another, and it can also be registered in a trademark registry. Words, including second names, drawings or pictures, characters, a combination of letters or numbers, colors, packaging, or even sounds can all be used as marks.

A well-chosen trademark is a significant marketing tool that helps a firm perform in the marketplace, and it plays an important role in defining an enterprise’s business plan.

Step 1: Conduct a trademark search

It is worthwhile to conduct a trademark search in order to consciously design a strategy for protecting intellectual property in an enterprise. Even if the sign is carefully designed, it may not always operate as a trademark. From a legal standpoint, a sign must meet a number of requirements in order to be registered and safely utilized in the trade. It is feasible to analyze your possibilities of registering the sign while avoiding conflicts with already protected trademarks by doing a search of the sign in question.

In terms of the risks connected with seeking trademark registration and with trademark use, a trademark search is a search for and study of prior trademarks that are identical or similar to the specified sign, carried out by patent attorneys. The search assists in determining if an entrepreneur who has already registered an identical or similar mark to designate identical or similar goods and services has exclusive rights in this regard. If prior comparable signals are discovered, it may be possible to amend the mark or the list of goods and services in the application to improve your chances of gaining protection and avoid a conflict once the product has been released.

When the search produces a positive result, or the entrepreneur determines that he is willing to take on the risk, the following step – application – can be taken.

Step 2: File the application

To begin, we establish the mark’s scope of protection by identifying the goods or services for which the mark will be used. It is vital to examine not only what will be given under the mark, but also where the firm may go in the future. It is better and less expensive to register a trademark application for future categories as well because once the application is filed, it will not be feasible to expand the scope.

When registering for trademark registration, another topic to consider is where the goods or services will be offered. In a certain territory, a trademark is protected. One is always tempted to safeguard it globally, but the cost may be too expensive for a small organization to sustain, even though such a strategy is viable.

What is the purpose of registering a trademark? The registration grants the entrepreneur a monopoly on the use of the sign-in question, as well as the right to prohibit other entities from using an identical or similar sign to designate identical or similar goods/services if the use of such a sign could mislead an average consumer about the goods’ origin. To put it another way, the question is whether the customer will be confused while acquiring the goods or will be able to connect with manufacturers.

Step 3: Observation

The registration rights that have been secured should be “protected” in the future. The Office does not tell us of any subsequent trademark applications that may be confusingly similar to ours. It is the responsibility of the business owner to ensure that no one enters his area of protection. Turning a blind eye to violations might have serious implications. IP law firms provide services such as database monitoring and advising clients about trademark applications that are similar or identical.

Step 4: Confirm the legality of the activities taken

The next step is to understand how an entrepreneur’s rights can be infringed upon, as well as how an entrepreneur can unwittingly infringe on the rights of others.

On the Internet, it is common for an infringement to occur even before the website is created. Choosing a domain name for your website should be done with the utmost consideration. It is also feasible to examine whether a domain with a specific name exists as part of a trademark search. The “first-come, first-served” rule applies while registering domains. The registrar does not verify the permission to use the Internet domain name in any way. However, if the name chosen infringes on another company’s trademark rights, that entity has the right to request that the use of the name is ceased and that the profits or compensation for the unlawful use be paid in the first instance.

Infringement can also be committed by marketing or selling goods that do not originate from the trademark holder but are illegally marked with the entrepreneur’s trademark. Such products may be of lower quality, contain potentially harmful ingredients, or fail to meet safety regulations. The sale of non-original products may expose the entrepreneur to trademark infringement charges.

The way things are presented as part of online sales is another aspect of business activity that might generate issues. When obtaining images and product descriptions from a manufacturer’s website, make sure the manufacturer authorizes such actions or seeks his written approval before doing so. The entrepreneur may be held liable for copyright infringement if he or she uses photographs found on the Internet. The notion that what is publicly available on the Internet can be freely reproduced and utilized in business activities is wrong, and such actions may subject the entrepreneur to risk, including financial liability.

The entrepreneur should evaluate his or her online actions on a frequent basis. However, when ordering a product that will be sold later, it is a good idea to double-check the seller and the country of purchase, and to avoid buying things that are described as similar, practically identical, on popular Chinese auction websites, for example. Unless you have express, preferably written, approval to use images from the Internet while displaying products, whether acquired from a wholesaler or created by an entrepreneur, you should have their photos taken independently. Use of trademarks or company names as a comparison to or reference to other goods is prohibited. If a trademark is required, a verbal mark should be chosen rather than a figurative one.

The use of rival names in Google Ads should also be avoided, as this may be regarded an act of unfair competition or an infringement of intellectual property rights, according to judicial precedent.

Step 5: Preventing infringements

When an entrepreneur’s trademark rights are infringed upon by someone utilizing the entrepreneur’s trademark in the name of an online domain, the entrepreneur may attempt to address the situation amicably.

In the event of a violation of trademark or copyright rights to images by publishing them without the author’s authorization, the right holder may take civil action in addition to conciliatory discussions.

Step 6: Review of rights on a periodic basis

When you’re on the market, it’s worth checking in on your offer from time to time to see how effective the protection is and to assess the portfolio of industrial property rights you have. Perhaps the items need to be secured in additional regions, or perhaps the original application was too broad and the list of territories could be narrowed, or perhaps new products or names need to be protected? You must remember to renew your licenses on time or contact a specialized law firm to do so for you.

Exclusive rights provide numerous advantages, including ensuring exclusivity of usage, increasing the company’s prestige and value, and serving as an outstanding weapon in your business plan. As a result, seeking the advice of lawyers who specialize in industrial property law can be extremely beneficial when making such significant decisions.