Trends in Trademerk registration

Social media has boosted the online advertisement and marketing strategies of brands and companies all over the world. For any brand or company, their logos and trademarks are the essential quality insurance for customers and clients around the world. For larger brands like Honda, Google, Facebook, the name says it all. It is, without question, an amazing marketing strategy to become so big, that your logo or trademark does not have to do the talking for you. For other brands, it speaks volumes. However, trademarks have been known to show consistent change in trends over the years. What they preserved and protected some years ago, they don't even represent these days.

 

However, Intellectual Property Rights have revamped the way we have protected people and their creations and innovations. The way that we have begun to work for this, shows exactly how important (or not) trademarks have been at various points in time. However, the feature of transparency, for someone's patent or rights to something, has stayed consistent throughout the period of time. Applications for these patents and rights have always stayed centralized, and for good reason, ever since we can put a date to them.

 

Time Affected Changes

Trademarks have been through some huge changes over the years. The central body and laws that rule trademarks have made many amendments. Post 2005, the world has seen a huge number of innovations around the world in the fields of Information Technology, and Machine Design. With the world making a huge transition into a digital era gradually for the past two or three decades, the need for protecting technology and innovation has become essential. Since 2005, entrepreneurship has seen a huge boost around the world, with people coming up with new ideas and inventions every other day. In 2013, the Madrid Protocol for International Registration of Trademarks was introduced, which brought forward a transparent disposal and viewing of applications for trademarks. The public could now see the real time examination of their Trademark applications and registrations. Further on to 2015, the Mediation and Conciliation For The Disposal of Disputes was introduced, to quickly open backlog dispute cases for trademark registrations between opponents.

 

2016-17 began to see the real progress of trademarks, with the introduction of Trademark Rules 2017. This included several improvements that made trademark registrations very easy and important. Improvements included user friendly process like concessions to Start Up businesses, single application forms, video conferences for hearings, emails for sending and receiving documents and several other changes. Several other changes also included SMS alerts for examination reports and e-verification of signatures.

 

Conclusion Of The Changes Made

2012 and onwards, the registration of trademarks around the world has seen some major changes. Filing has increased for trademarks from 2012-2016, but a slight downfall was seen in 2016-17. However, registrations have increased overall and the number of pending cases has been dropped severely. This was enough proof that the Trademark Registry was successful and was working efficiently.

 

IP protection has also created a sphere of safety around the transferring of data and technology around the world. What all of this does is, it creates a safe environment for the protection of creativity and innovation amongst people. It gives them the right to their own property and helps them protect it against plagiarism. Automation of the registration and application process has increased the number of registered trademarks around the world because now you don't have to physically walk out of your home to stand in a line before waiting for your turn. Now, all you need to do is open up a PC or a laptop, or even your cellphone, and get on with the process with ease.

 

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