In addition to trademarks and logos, companies increasingly turn to design to distinguish their products from those of their competitors. As product appearance often determines its success, design deserves protection.

Distinctive designs give companies a lead on competitors. Obviously this lead needs protection by registering the design as a design. By registering the design, it’s protected, and design with a similar general impression can be kept off the market. In other words, your competitors will need to find a different design for their product.

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There are two design types you can register:

It is important that you register the model quickly, preferably before its introduction onto the market. This way you can prevent others from copying your design even before its introduction.

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In addition to the statutory copyright, a design registration serves to protect a design. It is an important tool.

Moreover, a single design application can be made for several models.

Finally, design registrations are not based on a product and services classification, unlike trademark registrations. That means that the protection covers the design, regardless of the actual product for which it is used.

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Historically, in the Netherlands, the professions of trademark attorney and attorney-at-law have been separated. Trademark attorneys handle trademark prosecution (applications, watching, infringements) and attorneys-at-law handle litigation (court cases). Nowadays, this separation is still there, but more often than not we team up with our clients’ legal teams. We each contribute our own specific expertise, resulting in the best and most comprehensive advice for our clients.

Our aim is for you to benefit from the very best trademark protection. Did you receive advice from another trademark agency but want a second opinion? Then contact us. Objective advice is crucial.

Do you want to know more about how you can benefit from Knijff’s strategic expertise?

One of the most important conditions for maintaining a trademark is its use. In other words, a trademark should be used, and used in the way it has been registered. That might prove a challenge for your average company, let alone for multinationals with subsidiaries abroad, or companies dealing with dozens of distributors.

To make sure that everybody uses the trademark or logo in the way it was registered, we can draw up a brand manual. This can be an addition to the brand manual drawn up by a designer for the correct use of logos, for instance. Our brand manual would then describe how to use a trademark in a legally correct manner. For instance, that the ^® symbol should always be used, or that the trademark should never be referred to as a verb.

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When information about the proprietor, or even the proprietor itself, changes, the trademark portfolio is affected. The amendment will have to be registered for all trademarks across the various registers. And every country has different rules and regulations.

Knijff has extensive expertise in monitoring large mutation projects. Expertise gained by its own legalisation department and best practice puts Knijff in the right position to handle these large projects, successfully and on budget.

Do you want to know how Knijff can help you in mutation projects?

Knijff trademark attorneys advise a large number of clients about the protection of their trademarks. Companies often involve us from the start and we liaise with their marketing departments about what would be the best trademark as well as the best protection.

Once the trademark portfolio is up and running, it continues to be important that client and Knijf stay in regular contact. We can advise you on any gaps or the need for new registrations due to new legislation. This way your trademark portfolio will stay up-to-date.

Do you want to talk to a Knijff attorney on how we can assist you and your trademark?