Many people know that Canada has strong trade relations with their neighbours south of the border. This is one of the main reasons why many people want to break into the North American market and take advantage of this. Many people understand how important it can be to get a foothold on the Canadian market.
A trademark is often referred to as a brand with which people can identify you by. Needless to say, in business, this can be huge which is why it is important to register your brand. Let’s take a closer look at some of the best reasons for registering your brand in Canada.
1. Registering Your Brand Helps Protect You Online
There are a lot of people who are scammers and dishonest in the online world. If you have a trademark or brand that is registered, in general, it is easier to do something and get a favourable outcome against these online people. These devious people use third party platforms in order to advertise their goods or services.
However, many of these third party resources do respect intellectual property and if there is some kind of infringement that they become aware of, then they will take it down, which offers you and your brand a greater level of protection.
2. It Can Be Advantageous Financially
For the sake of licensing or purchase, a trademark can be financially advantageous. Many foreign brand owners realize this and try to register their trademarks here in Canada. One thing about successful brands is that through licensing, they can achieve even greater profits, whether this is from franchising or through merchandising.
Another thing many people don’t know is that trademarks can be used as collateral when it comes to getting loans.
3. Registered Trademarks Discourage Violations
The protection that trademarks offer is often unseen. In fact, in essence, they prevent a violation even before it happens. For example, because your trademark is registered, it will not be available for someone else. So, whether someone knowingly tries to use your trademark, or perhaps it is just an innocent coincidence, the trademark is not available to them.
Also, common law trademarks are not as visible as those that are registered. Being registered, it will appear in the database of the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) as well as Industry Canada’s NUANS Corporate Name Search. These are the go-to databases that many people check first when they are considering registering their own trademark. So, when they see a similar trademark, they know not to use it.
4. Translation Not Needed In Quebec
In the province of Quebec, trademarks are sometimes translated into French where it could lose the full potential of the effect. However, if your trademark was registered in Canada and is a recognized trademark, then it can be argued that, being recognized, there is no need for a translation, so it retains its original form and does not suffer any effect from a translation. This can save money (and time), because the owner does not have to spend money on changing wrappers, containers or marketing that is Quebec-specific.
Make sure to check with your trademark lawyer because this is something that tends to change and have amendments and modifications. The best thing to do would be to hire a trademark lawyer because they can give the best advice and they will also be current with all the changes.
