Your New Zealand business most likely has a unique value proposition, identified by customers through your brand, goods and services. You can help to protect this value proposition by registering an appropriate trade mark.
A trade mark helps distinguish your business from that of other traders. It can be a word, number, letter, business name, sound, phrase, smell, logo, shape, picture or even packaging.
By registering your trade mark, you ensure it is legally enforceable, meaning you will have the exclusive right to use that trade mark for the relevant goods and services. An unregistered trade mark does not offer the same protection.
Other benefits of trade mark registration include:
- visibility – it deters misuse by competitors;
- reduced costs for future enforcement; and
- national protection – protection throughout New Zealand.
Our intellectual property and trade mark lawyers and attorneys have created a series of resources and articles to help you understand how to register a trade mark and the benefits of doing so.
