We are aware you have a couple of trademark renewals coming up and thought about sharing this article drafted by one of our team members about the importance of trademark renewals hope you enjoy reading it!
Why is trademark renewal is a fundamental process?
Unlike other forms of Intellectual property Rights, trademark rights can be renewed indefinitely! This is a fact that gives trademarks the power and upper hand over any other type of intellectual property right, patents, copyrights and domain names. In order for a trademark to be active, and alive indefinitely, it has to be renewed before it expires, which is usually between 7 to 15 years depending on the country.
So any individual, startup or corporation who has invested in a trademark will likely want their trademarks valid and alive thus renewing and extending protection. The trademark renewal guarantees that all the rights related to the trademark are extended for another period of time. If trademark owners fail to renew their marks, once the validity expires, the trademark will no longer be valid.
Because trademark renewals are not as frequent as other forms of renewals such as annuities which take place yearly, we frequently find that brand owners miss the renewal deadlines and find themselves in a position where they have to re-file the mark which is something that has its own challenges!
Even though infrequent and simply extending an already existing protection, renewing a trademark is not always as easy as it should. Renewals can prove to be time-consuming process that requires document preparation, a budget, and communication across different geographies and departments within your company.
Maysa – Alyafi IP Group
