Monday, July 4, 2011

Brand Protection: Maximising the Online Investment

Brand protection is vital for all businesses who have invested time and monetary resources in building a viable operation. With the global marketplace becoming increasingly competitive, securing your brand and identity has become one of the highest priorities. With the company brand being the first thing that current and potential customers associate with your business and its offerings, it is essential that your investment is secure from others who may wish to borrow or steal some aspects of the branding to drive their own venture. This is not limited to the company name, but includes the logo, colour schemes, typesets and fonts, slogans and domain names. The aspects which are unique to your brand and longevity of profits need to be secured.
Specialist trademark and intellectual property specialists can provide you with professional advice and a series of actions for brand protection. Trademarks provide legal rights to use the components of brand identity that are applied for. This protects the business from dubious organisations and individuals that may wish to profit from your hard work and the reputable brand that exists in the marketplace as a result of this hard work. The perception from the general public that trademark applications are lengthy and costly activities are slowly being demystified by the emergence of leading trademark specialists who create online portals to make the process simple, stress free and cost effective. With a team of specialists behind these organisations, they are prompt to respond to questions and deal with any complications along the way.

With the growth of web based technology and innovative online business and marketing strategies, the need for brand protection has never been higher. There is no doubt that the internet has provided a medium that has enabled many businesses to grow, providing an ideal venue for marketing; however, this has also brought its own unique challenge of risk and brand protection. The qualities of the internet, characterised by its openness, anonymity and instant global reach can also provide the perfect hunting ground for those who wish to borrow or even hijack your brand for their own commercial benefit.
Unlike offline media and communications, businesses and marketers have little control over brand related content online. It may be copied, pasted, borrowed or stolen. Without the legal rights of formal brand protection in place, a business from the other side of the world could steal your idea and trademark before your business gets the benefit. Don't leave anything to chance; protect your brand, your investment and your company today.
IPOL is concerned that New Zealand intellectual property owners often file design or trademark applications themselves with very little knowledge of their important issues and potential pitfalls. It is our aim to identify the issues and potential danger areas so that intellectual property owners can prepare their own applications with an increased likelihood of acquiring worthwhile rights.

No comments:

Post a Comment