The registration of your brand is a very important process. Without this legal step, you will be unprotected and anyone could use your name or steal your online dominion. Many attempt to complete all the registration steps for themselves, while it’s more recommendable to turn to professionals specialized in these subjects. If you insist on doing it yourself, don’t make any of the five mistakes that we’re sharing here.
1. Begin by protecting your brand name
One of the first doubts is, what do I protect first? Your brand name! The name isn’t just what identifies you, but it constitutes a key element for your business’s strategy. Because of its immense importance, changing it is never recommendable and so, the process of choosing it is essential. Registering your brand name will protect you and no one else in your sector can use it. Remember that every year, tens of thousands of names are registered, so getting one that allows you to stand out on Internet isn’t easy.
There’s no secret formula for the name process, but there is some advice that can help you. The first is that you must be creative when choosing the name. These days, almost all descriptive names are registered, so you will have to see how to express what you want creatively and concisely. Remember: the easiest names to pronounce and remember don’t exceed three syllables.
Your brand name mustn’t just sound good, but it must also mean something and transmit the values that interest you.
2. Always protect the element that makes you different
Besides the name, you must register other elements that make you different, for example, your logotype, symbol and corporate color. Keep in mind that while the further your brand name is from the literal description of the service or product you offer, the more chances you will have that no other business in your sector will have registered that name.
3. Before registering your brand, prove that the dominion is available on Internet
Today, building a digital trademark is essential. And that goes for having an online dominion that contains, exactly, your brand name. Therefore, always review, before registering your brand name, that this dominion is available, for different TLD. If you are creating a business, you can’t be missing the .com. On the other hand, if you are creating another kind of organization, you can use .org or something generic from another country, like .es if your business is Spanish or.mx, if it’s from Mexico. Suggestion: try to buy .com, .net, .org. Then, redirect all dominions toward the one that contains information about your business. This way, you won’t have to worry that some other business pops up on Internet with the same name as yours but with another TLD.
4. Always register your brand in all markets where you work
If your brand is only going to be national, you don’t have to worry about registering it in another country. On the other hand, if you’re contemplating expanding into other markets, always remember that you will have to register in each of the countries where you will work.
5. Always register all of your patents and trademarks
We’ve reached the last recommendation included in the list of 5 mistakes to be avoided when registering a brand.
At times we forget to register a trademark or patent and we end up paying a high price for this mistake. If you don’t register them correctly, then you are in the hands of third parties who can make the most of your brand. Remember that you have to register your brand in every class where you’re going to use it. Plus, as we’ve already analyzed, you will have to register it in every country where you work.
