A trademark registration gives you exclusive rights to use the trademark as a special symbol for your goods and/or services. If a conflict arises, you will be in a better position to defend your rights if you have registered your trademark.

A trademark:

• represents your identity in the marketplace
• may signalize a certain quality, a life style or reputation
• can be particularly valuable when marketing your goods and services.

Registering your trademark is important because it enables you to document your exclusive rights, and can:

• prevent others from using a trademark which can be confused with yours for goods and services of the same or similar type
• increase your competitive advantage and improve the possibility of earning money from your product
• help you achieve a greater market share
• gives you a sound basis for negotiating finance for your development costs
• gives you a sound basis for entering into sales and licensing agreements with others.
• make your business more attractive to partners and investors
• help to prevent conflicts
• be used as evidence in a conflict

NB: This exclusive right applies only to business use, such as use of the trademark on the product itself, on packaging, in advertising, in business documents, in verbal discussions or otherwise. This right does not prevent private use.