Why and How to register for a Trademark? 

Trademarks serve as an important form of intellectual property protection and as a form of business identity. They may include names, words, symbols, or even industrial design rights which distinguish products or services of a particular business from those of another. Anyone who registers for a trademark stands to claim a variety of advantages.

Reasons to Register for a Trademark

One important reason why you ought to register for a trademark is to gain exclusive rights over it. After you finish registering for a trademark, no other business can use that same trademark or any trademark which bears too much resemblance. This way, your business and your business alone will have rights to operate, advertise, and market under this trademark.

Registration for a trademark guards your business against violations of intellectual property rights. According to Malaysia’s intellectual property laws, no other business including your direct competitors can use the trademark which you’ve registered without your approval. Should any other entity attempt to do so, you can then make use of the legal protection related to the trademark to keep your business spared from harm.

Click here to view the registration process of Trademark in Malaysia

Trademark registration assists with business expansion abroad. Should you plan to register a trademark in another country, the trademark you have registered domestically can be used to ease the registration process internationally. Those in the international market who know about your trademark might view it as a solid base to attract customers. Thus, a registered trademark might just be a ticket to improved commercialization and subsequently conquering a new market.

Another overlooked but important reason to consider trademark registration is the creation of an intangible asset. As a form of intellectual property, a business owner might choose to sell, franchise, assign, or commercially contract a registered trademark. Trademarks are intangible assets because they provide promotional value for and increase the commercial value of products and services. They provide promotional value by facilitating advertising; the more well-known the trademark, the easier it is to advertise associated products. Trademarks also facilitate commercialization and increased commercial value because they signify a product or service’s unique qualities. This is because a trademarked item belongs to its owner and no one else; thus, customers will be inclined to purchase the item simply because there will not be any other like it.

Now that we’ve shown you some of the reasons why you should register for a trademark, you might be interested in how to do so. Read on to find out!

How to Register for a Trademark in Malaysia

Assuming you are registering for a trademark in Malaysia, you will first need two copies of a completed application form; the trademark size must not exceed 10 cm x 10 cm. You’ll then have one copy returned for future reference.

All payments for trademark registration are to be made to the Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia (MyIPO). MyIPO’s trademark registration categories are stated as follows:

• The list of goods or services applied for is adopted from the pre-approved list of goods and services
• The list of goods or services is not adopted from the pre-approved list
• A series of Trademark: applying more than one class of trademark.

You may apply for more than one class in a single application if necessary. It is advised to consult with a trustable trademark agency to make sure you are on the right track.

You may seek for Exy Intellectual Property to redeem your exclusive consultation session. Protect your business by registering trademark today.

This article is brought to you by Exy Intellectual Property (Malaysia)