What is a Trademark?
Trademarks are symbols used by a business or trade to distinguish their goods or services from other competitors in the market. Over time, a trademark application has a corroborative effect with marketing strategies aimed at driving brand recall amongst customers in Singapore and beyond – this expedited form of registration offered by other companies, however, usually does not come cheap. This is an unspoken business solution for many in Singapore, and we at Margin Wheeler comprehend its importance.
In simpler terms, trademark symbols protect your unique brands, words, logos, letters, names, signatures, numerals, devices, headings, labels, tickets, shapes, colors, aspects of packaging or a combination of these concerning your goods or services. They provide companies with intellectual property protection by safeguarding vital assets and serving in conjunction with legal ramifications.
How to identify A TRADEMARK?
Commonly used symbols to identify a trademark are ® and ™. The two symbols are different in the following ways:
- ® indicates that the logo, phrase, or word attached to it possess a valid trademark registration, is protected under trademark laws, and can only be used by the owner of the trademark license.
- ™ attached to a logo, phrase, or word identifies that the mark is being used as an identifier for specific products or services made available by the owner. However, the mark is not necessarily registered or protected under trademark laws and can be used by any business or persons.
Trademark application in Singapore: Why register one?
Benefits of Registering a Trademark
At Margin Wheeler, we offer trademark application services for your business in Singapore (though our services are relatively cheap, our service quality is unparalleled). Benefits of engaging our services include:
Quality Assurance
A registered trademark is a form of quality assurance to your customers and clients. A registered trademark sends a message that your business and services are recognized by the IPOS. With such accreditation comes the assurance of the quality of your business and its services or products.
Branding
Trademarks can prevent other parties from using your distinguishing product or service and benefiting economically from the goodwill and market value that you have invested in creating. Also, the extended use of a trademark increases the recognisability of a brand in the marketplace.
Legal Rights
Having a trademark gives you absolute rights to control the use of the sign as a distinctive identifier for a specific business. In the case of a dispute, you are able to quickly rectify imitations and infringements of your brand or name.
International Legal Protection
In a competitive market, cheap gameplays are common, making trademark applications a safe bet for your business in Singapore. Any claims you make against any infringing party that uses your trademark without permission may be enforced beyond the geographical limits of Singapore — for instance, in over 80 countries that are signatories to the Nice Classification or through the Madrid Protocol System. This means that you may be able to stop infringing parties in other countries from using your trademark (via an injunction), seek an accounting of profits, or even seek damages from the offending party for unauthorized use.
Frequently Asked Questions About Trademark Registration In Singapore
From application to an official registration, the average duration of the entire process of registering a trademark in Singapore ranges from 8 to 12 months. Before proceeding to file your application, you should ensure that there are no existing marks which are similar or identical to yours; and to determine the trademark’s classification in accordance to the Nice Classification. This reduces the chance of an objection to your application. The entire process can be time-consuming, and such objections can be costly to rectify. Therefore, many businesses choose to engage a professional service to file trademark applications on their behalf. Margin Wheeler’s affordable trademark application service helps businesses in Singapore navigate this tedious process, while providing useful advice along the way.
As of July 2007, the Singapore Trade Marks (Amendment) Act allows for Multi-Class trademark registration. With this new multiple-class system, business owners are entitled to file one trademark application for two or more applicable goods and services classes. That is to say that applicants will only have to register once for all goods and services that are to be claimed under the same trademark. However, it is pivotal to note that the official fees for each trademark application are payable on a per-class basis.
This is dependent on the mode of filing you opt for - online or manual filing. The official online filing fee for the registration of a trademark for a single class whose specification items have been fully adopted from the pre-approved database is $240. For class specifications not fully adopted, the official fee is S$341 on a per class basis. The manual filing fee is S$374 per mark per-class.
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Compliance with Local Laws
Why do you need a Corporate Secretary?
Section 171 of the Singapore Companies Act, Chapter 50 requires ALL Singapore Companies to appoint a Singapore Company Secretary to handle ongoing statutory compliance matters.
