What You Need to Know Before Applying for Trademark Registration ?
Trademarks are not an unknown term in the business environment. It can be described as the unique identification mark that helps your product/service to grab attention and stay ahead of competitors. The trademark can be anything ranging from a caption, logo, color combination, smell, slogan or graphics. It should define your product/service in some way and act as a unique identity for it. So, how can trademark issues affect a business? A business should always get the Trademark Registration done. . A registration comes mandatory if you plan to protect your trademark as your own unique identity. As long as you do not do the registration, anyone can use your trademark and you can’t even complain about it. A trademark which is registered in accordance with the rules of the state can be deemed as the business’s intangible asset or intellectual property.
The Controller General Of Patents, Ministry Of Industry and Commerce, Designs and Trademarks, Government Of India is the official body to register your trademark in India. The trademark can be registered under the Trademark Act, 1999. If you have registered your trademark, you get the right to sue any individual or company which tries to copy your trademark. You hold the sole right to your trademark and can always keep it as your unique property.
You can apply for a trademark with the help of professional trademark registration experts. They can make the otherwise time-consuming and mundane task easier and quicker for you. Nowadays, you can even apply for trademark registration online in the comfort of your home. No muddling paper works, no fussy officials, no time-consuming waiting times! Just apply online with the help of professional expert service and sit back and relax while they do the work for you! Yes! It is as simple as that!
How To Deal with the Copyright Issues ?
Now, another issue you may need to tackle as a business owner is the copyright issue. In the age of the internet, finding the perfect image without paying for it is very easy. Every one of us is guilty of using photographs searched from Google somewhere.
First things first, just because an image on Google doesn’t have a tag, watermark or price attached to it doesn’t make it free. You cannot just download it and publish it anywhere. For safety sake, always assume that any picture found on any Search Engine including Google is the property of someone else and is protected by copyright law and Copyright Registration is done. Only when you know, for sure, that they are not covered under the law can they be applied elsewhere. Using an image that falls within the statute of copyright without the permission of the owner is punishable by law.
It doesn’t matter if you download only one photo of hundreds of them. Both incur the same punishment because they are both thefts. If caught and charged, the cost of the violation is not worth it. But does that mean no image on Google can ever be used without permission? No, there are some pictures that fall under the CCO license. Known as Creative Common License, any photo that is covered by it is in the public domain. In simpler words, it can be used by anyone. You can:
- copy it
- download it
- modify it
- distribute it
- Publish it
Legally, they are free for use. There is no need to get permission or buy them. The license states that the artist has provided the photo for the use of anyone and any purpose even commercial. Searching for such photographs on Google and other popular search engines is not easy. But, thankfully, there are some websites and platforms that provide free images. They are copyright free and can be downloaded by any person.
- Pixabay
- MMT
- Gratisography
- Photocollections
- Free Nature Stock
- Streetwill
- Realistic Shots
- Life of Pix
- Pexels
- Unsplash
- Public Domain Pictures
- Picography
- freedigitalphotos.net
- ISO Republic
- Magdeleine
- DeviantArt
- freeimages.com
Now, what about businesses which would like to protect their works which might include anything ranging from images, videos, movies, literary works? You would need to ensure that your works are not copied by any outside person or business. This can only be done by registering for a copyright. This will help in ensuring that your works do not fall in the wrong hands. What can be worse than seeing your hard worked video or literary piece being used by another person without your knowledge? In such cases, if you have a copyright in hand, you can immediately sue them.
You can get your works registered for copyright with the help of a professional copyright registration expert. They can help you complete the time-consuming work in a flash. You can even apply for copyright online with the help of such experts. Get your trademark and copyright registration done and take the first step in making your business a unique entity!