Registering a trade mark

X-Y-Z

Hello,
I am planning to register a trade mark and have two questions around it:

1. Is it better to get a trade mark agent than to register it on my own? We are a small startup company so we would like to cut down the costs - what could the associated costs be if we get an agent?

2. Does it make much difference whether I register just the brand name or also the logo? We are planning to register the brand in a number of countries and in some of them they charge extra for registering the logo.

Thanks,
X-Y-Z

mneylon

I'd be very wary of using any of the Irish trademark agents as they all charge crazy fees. I looked after our trademark registrations for both Ireland and Benelux without any issue, however I have got a US lawyer working on our US and other international ones.

As for logo vs text - a lot depends on how unique your logo is. For us, for example, the text was a lot easy to trademark than the logo mark

X-Y-Z

Thanks, blacknight!

And can you tell me why you got yourselves a US lawyer for the US trademark registration?
Is it not as easy over there as just filing the proposed name and logo online through their IP protection institute?

Cheers,
X-Y-Z

bk1

Hi

Yes agree that the Irish agents charge huge fees, however, I know a trademark attorney with US and Irish experience who went out on her own and is very reasonable with fees. Web is www.tradesecrets.ie.

Worth getting a quote anyway.

www.bookkeepingpartners.ie

X-Y-Z

bk1: the link to www.tradescrets.ie is not working, are you sure it's correct?

bk1

Sorry just checked it and the web is www.tsl.ie



www.bookkeepingpartners.ie

Evil Phil

Do you register your trademark with the patents office? Their site is down and I want to get the forms. If its not the patents office could somebody provide a link?

Thanks.

X-Y-Z

Evil Phil: their site has been down for a few days now.
I suspect the only way to register a trademark with them now is to go there in person and leave an application in paper.

mneylon

Ring them. They're very helpful

antoinolachtnai

You can do a lot yourself, and charges for trademark work are high, but unless you know a lot about the IPR field, it really does help to have decent advice on trademarks. Otherwise you can end up with a trademark that is just not defensible and really worthless.

Of course, just because you pay a lot will not mean you have decent advice.

In general, registering the text is the most important.

X-Y-Z

That trademark is going to be used as a logo for the portal we're going to release soon - I'm not sure what the risks are in this case that someone will try to steal it. I understand risks in case of products such as clothes, food etc - but what are the risks for software web products?

m83

X-Y-Z wrote: »

That trademark is going to be used as a logo for the portal we're going to release soon - I'm not sure what the risks are in this case that someone will try to steal it. I understand risks in case of products such as clothes, food etc - but what are the risks for software web products?

Sorry, I'm just bumping this because I'm in a similar situation myself.

Can anyone help?

antoinolachtnai

If you don't see any risk, then don't bother. But obviously, the risk is that someone else will set up selling a similar product to yours using your logo or name or a very similar one.

abyss

Anyone can split his new experience about trademark registration ?