How To Trademark a Name and Logo in South Africa
If you want to market your product abroad, you can register a trademark at the South African Trademarks Office. Foreign registrations are also possible. You would be required to give trademark attorneys a copy of your planned trademark (name, slogan, or logo), as well as information about all the goods and services you intend to use the trademark on. A separate foreign trademark registration should only be obtained if you also want to market your product in other countries. Trademarks are registered at the South African Trademarks Office. In South Africa, trademark registration might take up to a year.
Patenting a logo
a brand name, product brand, or service brand that is used in commerce to identify your things is qualified for trademark registration if it distinguishes its goods and services from those of others. A logo must be unique in order to be trademarked, and it cannot only list the products or services it pertains to. A trademark that is already registered, sought for, or in use in South Africa in relation to the same or similar goods or services may not be identical or confusingly similar to the logo.
Why would you want to patent a logo?
If you’re working to establish the reputation of your good or service. Make sure that the general public does not mistake your products or services for those of your rivals by registering a trademark, which is an affordable method of safeguarding your name and reputation.
Using a name as a trademark
It is simple to register a trademark for your name and logo, but it takes around two years to become effective. This does not preclude you from using your name in the interim.
To protect your name as a trademark, follow these guidelines:
Make sure there isn’t already a registration for a name that is similar by conducting a search to avoid only to learn after nine months that a competing trademark has already been registered and that you must change your name after spending money on packaging and promotion.
So, before submitting a trademark application for your name, look up related names in the South African trademarks database.
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Here are your choices:
Obtain a competent South African registrability search from one of our trademark attorneys for R2, 500 + VAT; or
Try using the free trademark search tool online.
Period of trademark use
In order to remain in effect, a trademark must be renewed every ten years in South Africa. Trademarks do not lose their validity after a predetermined length of time, unlike patents, registered designs, and copyright. When you don’t pay the renewal fee to keep your trademark active, you forfeit your rights and your brand.
