Trademarks are an intellectual property right able to distinguish goods or services from a certain company, firm or enterprise from others belonging to third parties.

Trademarks
Source: EUIPO

The main features of trademarks as intellectual property right are:

  • Protected object: signs capable of graphic representation that distinguish products and services in the market.
  • Type of protection: it guarantees the exclusive right of use and prevents third parties from marketing identical or similar products or using an image so similar that may create confusion.
  • Duration: 10 years, renewable indefinitely.
  • Type: national mark, community mark and international registry. In the case of Latin America, there are two types of registration:
    • Brand in the Andean Group, for the member countries of the Andean Pact (Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia and Peru)
    • Brand in the countries that make up MERCOSUR (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela).
  • Competent Body: National Brand OEPM (Spain)
  • European Community Trademark: EUIPO (Europe)
  • International Registry: WIPO through the Madrid System.

Find out more about Trademarks in #MoocVT Module Technology information management.

More information: WIPO Trademarks