The selection of the registered class of the trademark is very important for the enterprise, which is not only related to the comprehensive protection of the brand, but also affects the future development strategy of the enterprise. When registering a trademark, companies need to take a more holistic view while considering the range of product attributes to ensure that the trademark can be advantageous in all aspects.
In the early stage of trademark registration, the first consideration of an enterprise is to select the registered category and product items related to its existing business scope. For example, a business that produces cooked foods should be given priority for registration on Class 29 food and Class 30 convenience foods. This is the first step in protecting a company's trademark for full legal protection in the current market.
Enterprises should make in-depth plans for future business development and expand the trademark registration category to the product or service areas that may be launched in the future. This pre-emptive strategy helps to avoid the embarrassing situation of having a registered trademark when launching a new product, creating more possibilities for the future development of the business.
In trademark registration, it should be noted that there are some confusing categories of goods in the Classification of Goods. Companies should not only focus on the category of the product's own attributes, but also register on the confusing product category to guard against the challenge of competitors. This nuanced consideration is one of the keys to defending your brand.
Some trademarks have a wide applicability, for example, Disney's trademarks not only represent theme parks, but also apply to stationery, clothing, movies, books, and other fields. Enterprises should consider the possibility of the trademark itself when registering a trademark, and register it within the scope applicable to multiple commodity categories, so as to fully tap the potential value of the trademark.
Businesses need to be wary of some product categories that can have a negative impact on their corporate image. Taking "Yili's milk almost fell into the toilet" as an example, if Yili Group had carried out defensive registration in the category of sanitary equipment and other goods, it would have avoided the occurrence of adverse image incidents. Companies should consider the categories that may have a negative impact and register in these areas.
Although the full registration of 45 goods classes requires a certain amount of investment, it is the most thorough way to provide comprehensive protection for trademarks. By registering trademarks in all classes, companies send a strong message to the outside world: the brand is fully defended, and any infringement will be punished by law. This is a defensive strategy to ensure that a business's trademark is adequately legally protected in any possible field.
Trademark protection is not a one-time thing, and companies need to regularly monitor the dynamic changes of trademarks to ensure that the registered trademark remains valid. As the market environment changes, companies may need to adjust and expand their trademark registrations in line with new business needs and market trends.
To sum up, the selection of trademark registration category should not only consider the current business scope, but also look to the future and comprehensively plan the defensive layout of the trademark. By skillfully choosing the category of trademark registration, enterprises can occupy a more advantageous position in the highly competitive market and achieve the long-term stable development of the brand.
Trademark classification