Philippines Marks Higher Score in International Intellectual Property Index

Philippines Marks Higher Score in International Intellectual Property Index

With the implementation of new anti-counterfeiting and piracy measures, the Philippines has improved its score by around 4 percent in the United States Chamber of Commerce’s (USCC) 2020 International Intellectual Property Index.

Ranking 37th out of total 53 economies, the Philippines scored 39.94% in 2020 index in comparison to its 36% score in 2019. Reports showed that the key strength of the Philippines is in the IP framework that includes:

  • Amendments to the IP code to strengthen criminal sanctions
  • The fast-tracking procedure for Trademark Registration
  • Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) given in legislation
  • Incentives for research and development (R&D)
  • Growing specialization
  • Capacity Building.

On the other side, gaps in life sciences and content-related IPRs, online and software piracy, and barriers for licensing technology are reported as some of the weaknesses of the Philippines.

Abbreviated as IPOPHL, the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines said that considering three additional economies in the index, Philippine standing reached 70% to the top, from 74% in the previous year.

IPOPHL officer-in-charge, Director General Teodoro Pascua, said that they welcome the verdicts of USCC-GIPC (Global Innovation Policy Center). They are happy and thankful for its positive and careful observation of the progress of their nation’s IPRs environment, especially on enforcement entrenched in IPOPHL’s effort to protect creativity and innovation.

Considering the Philippine Online Infringing Act, the USCC-GIPC is expecting that the Philippines would score higher in the 2021’s report. Under this Act, IPOPHL will be allowed to order the cancellation of an internet service provider’s operating license if it fails to remove the infringing content within ten days of notification.

IPOPHL added that these kinds of positive steps would lead to an increase in scores on relevant indicators, which will then make the index to monitor the developments in 2020 and upcoming years.

Mr. Pascua then added that 2020 would be an interesting year for IPRs Enforcement Office (IEO) and IPOPHL’s enforcement team who will be ironing out enforcement suggestions and guidelines to keep up with modern business models. He also said that IEO had identified some critical players in the supply chain of false trade with whom they believe they should engage. They desire to motivate them to set up their mechanisms to prevent counterfeiters, including those who are contributing to counterfeit trade by utilizing their channels for criminal operations, Pascua ended.  For more visit: https://www.trademarkmaldives.com

Don’t forget to follow us on social media:

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/trademarkmaldives/

Twitter – https://twitter.com/trademarkmaldiv

Linkedin – https://www.linkedin.com/company/trademarkmaldives/

Pinterest – https://in.pinterest.com/trademarkmaldives/

Tumblr – https://trademarkmaldives.tumblr.com/

What Should You Know About A Trademark Search?

What Should You Know About A Trademark Search?

Intellectual Property (IP) alertness and the number of trademark applications are rising gradually. Therefore, it is significant for existing businesses as well as the new businesses who want to register their marks to be aware of the appropriate procedure to do so. It will help them in preventing the rejection of their Trademark Applications, and thus, save their hard-earned money and precious time from being wasted. One of the main reasons why most applications related to trademark registration get rejected is that the mark mentioned within them is either identical or confusingly similar to an already existing trademark in the market. So a trademark search, which lets you have an idea if a trademark similar to your mark is available in the market, is the best way to know whether your mark is eligible to get registered or not. It, in this way, can prevent your application’s refusal.

What is a Trademark search?

It refers to an action taken for determining whether or not a trademark is already being used in commerce. Although often appears narrow in scope, trademark searches can include results from almost all avenue for Trademark Protection for every mark, which is remotely similar to the mark that’s the subject of the search.

An appropriate Trademark Searching Technique or strategy will consider determining the nature of the mark, the nature of the products or services the mark covers, the timeline for bringing the mark to commerce, and the applicant’s allocation of all resources. A Trademark Search Report, in general, is based on:

  • Deep analysis of the elements included in the trademark
  • An intense search of prior trademarks that may impede registration
  • Opinions of an experienced Trademark Attorney on several aspects related to trademark application or registration
  • Suggestions for enhancement of registration probabilities when needed.

Most of the time, the relevant trademark registration office refuses to register any mark because of finding the applied mark either the same or similar to an already existing trademark. However, the office could refuse the registration based on many other factors, such as:

  • Merely descriptive or deceptively misdescriptive
  • Scandalous or immoral trademarks, like racial slurs
  • Trademarks that wrongly suggest a relationship with persons or entities
  • Geographically descriptive or deceptively geographically misdescriptive
  • Prohibited signs like flags, Olympic symbols, etc.

Since rules for registration for trademark vary from country to country, you may obtain different search reports for different countries. For instance, if your mark complies with all the factors essential for Trademark Registration in Maldives, it doesn’t mean that the same satisfies the requirements to get registered in India as well. In the same way, the trademark search report obtained in one nation could be different from that obtained in another nation. Besides, the trademark attorney’s recommendations, along with registration possibilities, can also vary according to the country. Some common reasons responsible for these variations in trademark search reports and trademark registrations in different countries are:

Differences in Interpretation: Trademark Offices interpret what can be and cannot be registered in a different manner. For example, countries like Switzerland will never accept any design that eventually resembles a red cross, no matter how small, big, or deconstructed it appears. However, other nations are more relaxed about what constitutes a red cross and often accept similar designs.

Differences in National Trademark Law: A mark with an image of a crown is not at all an issue in most countries. Nevertheless, in some countries like the United Kingdom, representation of the Royal Crown or similar would be refused.

Wrapping Up

With lakhs of trademarks and thousands of companies in the world, conducting a precise trademark search is essential. The trademark search process, in general, includes all the classes that are registered within that country. One can check the availability of his slogan, logo, brand, or name easily in just one trademark search. Dexterous Intellectual Property Law Firms are available with services that can make things easier for you. With years of experience, these firms can help you choose the right class, etc., by using the free but excellent Trademark Search Tool. The experts within these can also assist you through the entire Trademark Registration Process. In other words, these organizations can make you enjoy robust trademark protection for your mark without facing issues and wasting time or money. For more visit: https://www.trademarkmaldives.com

Don’t forget to follow us on social media:

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/trademarkmaldives/

Twitter – https://twitter.com/trademarkmaldiv

Linkedin – https://www.linkedin.com/company/trademarkmaldives/

Pinterest – https://in.pinterest.com/trademarkmaldives/

Tumblr – https://trademarkmaldives.tumblr.com/

Google Files Trademark Application for Pigweed – A new Operating System

Google Files Trademark Application for Pigweed – A new Operating System

Over the years, Google has been developing its fair share of operating systems, including Android, Chrome OS, and Fuchsia. And now, according to a new Trademark Application filed by Google, it appears that the search giant may be working on increasing the share by adding another operating system (OS) codenamed Pigweed.

Although the search giant has filed the trademark application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for the Pigweed OS recently, this isn’t the first time when the world heard of Pigweed with Google.

Pigweed was first found in a code from Google while developing Fuchsia OS. It happened due to a code change for Fuchsia, where the developers mentioned ‘pigweed,’ but that was changed to ‘Fuchsia.’ From this, it can be estimated that Google’s Pigweed and Fuchsia are possibly related. However, as nothing much has been revealed about Pigweed, the two operating systems could be different as well.

Pigweed’s appearance was also spotted in the Google Chromium code repository, where ‘pigweed’ was mentioned in a code associated with ‘Monorail,’ an issue tracker used by the search giant for Chrome and other projects.

These are the two known incidents showing the appearance of Google’s Pigweed in the past. Nevertheless, as per the latest trademark application, Pigweed is a ‘computer operating system.’ For now, this’s what the world knows about Google’s Pigweed. In other words, there isn’t anything else other than this information regarding Pigweed for now. Moreover, there’s no word on ‘will Google make Pigweed official.’ It is also not clear if Pigweed would be a new OS for smartphones in addition to computers. Hence, until Google decides to reveal more regarding Pigweed, no one can figure out what purpose the OS will actually serve.

Another big question is, ‘when can the public expect Google to take the wraps off of Pigweed?’ Well, there’s no easy way to guess the answer to this question also. For instance, the term ‘Android’ was trademarked just five days prior to the OS was first exposed in 2007. Conversely, the name ‘Chromebook’ wasn’t trademarked for months even after the first Chromebook began shipping in 2011. Furthermore, the word ‘Fuchsia’ has been trademarked for around two years now without being officially unveiled. Fuchsia OS, on which the search giant has been working for over twenty-four months now, is expected to replace Android, the most famous and widely used OS for smartphones. Although Google hasn’t confirmed if Fuchsia would be the next Android or Chrome OS, it already started testing Fuchsia OS on smartphones. Nonetheless, the search giant is expected to provide more concrete information with respect to Fuchsia OS and the new Pigweed OS altogether later this year. For more visit: https://www.trademarkmaldives.com

Don’t forget to follow us on social media:

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/trademarkmaldives/

Twitter – https://twitter.com/trademarkmaldiv

Linkedin – https://www.linkedin.com/company/trademarkmaldives/

Pinterest – https://in.pinterest.com/trademarkmaldives/

Tumblr – https://trademarkmaldives.tumblr.com/

Cypriot Cheese Producers Re-secure Trademark Protection for ‘Halloumi’

Cypriot Cheese Producers Re-secure Trademark Protection for ‘Halloumi’

Cypriot farmers have recently won back the exclusive right to sell their cheese products as ‘Halloumi’ in the UK after re-securing the trademark it lost in 2018.

Participating on the part of these farmers, the Cypriot ministry first obtained Trademark Protection for ‘Halloumi’ from the UK Intellectual Property Office in 1990. However, in association with a legal challenge brought by the UK-based cheese producers, the trademark had been revoked in the year 2018. The verdict was a result of an administrative error as the Cypriot ministry failed to respond to the legal requests within the asked time frame. Nevertheless, now the ministry has secured the protection again.

According to a Patent and Trademark Attorney, this significant win for the Cypriot farmers means that they have regained an exclusive right to use the mark ‘Halloumi’ while selling their cheese product in the UK. Because of the growing market for this product in the UK, this is expected to prove profitable for them. However, the farmers are unlikely to limit themselves there. They have already filed a Trademark Application for achieving ‘protected food name’ status to the European Commission, and if successful, their application would bring permanent protection. But as it’s likely to take some time, trademark protection in the UK will be beneficial to them in the meantime.

The attorney said that the food and drink producers in the UK might not be aware that they are allowed to apply for ‘protected food name’ status to secure protection for products with unique characteristics that can be linked to a specific geographical location or specified product. The attorney continued that this Trademark Registration certification would affect those who are producing cheese products. It is so because they could not label the product as ‘Halloumi’ unless it meets the certification mark requirements. Hence, restaurants should take care of not to define something as ‘Halloumi’ wrongly.

The attorney further added that if there’s no food name protection in place, and the misuse isn’t spotted as soon as possible, the use of the name or product could become generic. As a consequence, it would lose its eligibility for protected status. For example – ‘Cheddar’ is a name that has now become generic, and thus, no longer capable of obtaining such protection.

The Protected Food Name scheme, which was established by the UK government in 1993, is helpful for producers who want to use a geographical place name as part of their product’s brand identity for preventing others from marketing their items under the same name.

Since a large number of products have achieved the ‘protected food name’ status, there is no reason why Halloumi producers should not look for the same. Still, the application by these producers has been affected by many delays. Nonetheless, now it has gained the approval, meaning that the producers have re-secured ‘Halloumi’ trademark protection in the UK. ✅ For more visit: https://www.trademarkmaldives.com

Don’t forget to follow us on social media:

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/trademarkmaldives/

Twitter – https://twitter.com/trademarkmaldiv

Linkedin – https://www.linkedin.com/company/trademarkmaldives/

Pinterest – https://in.pinterest.com/trademarkmaldives/

Tumblr – https://trademarkmaldives.tumblr.com/

Greta Thunberg Files Trademark Application to Register Her Name and Movement

Greta Thunberg Files Trademark Application to Register Her Name and Movement

Teen climate activist Greta Thunberg has recently revealed that she has filed a Trademark Application to register her name and that of the international school strike movement.

In an Instagram post, the 17-year-old Swede, i.e., Thunberg wrote that she and the other school strikers (her fellow activists) have absolutely no interest in trademarks, but unfortunately, it needs to be done. She said that applying for trademarks is an action she is taking to protect the misuse of her name and that of the movement, which has gone global and catapulted her to international fame. ‘Fridays for Future’ is a global movement founded by her and belongs to everyone taking part in it beyond all the young people. Hence, it can and must not be used for individual or commercial purposes.

She added that the Trademark Protection is essentially needed as her name and the movement’s one are continually being used for commercial purposes without any consent whatsoever. For instance, people, while marketing or selling products, often collect money in her and the movement’s name.

Registering trademarks is also needed to receive assistance in taking legal action against people or companies attempting to use her and the name of ‘Fridays for Future’ movement for purposes, which aren’t in line with the movement’s values, she added.

According to the social media post by the famous activist, the recently filed application covers appeal for Trademark Registration of her name, the ‘Fridays for Future’ movement’s name, and ‘Skolstrejk för klimate’ (which means “School strike for the climate” in Swedish), the slogan on a sign or placard that she held during her weekly solo climate protests outside the parliament of Sweden in 2018, which inspired similar protests by other activists or young people.

Greta Thunberg, who actively took center stage at the Global Economic Forum in Davos this month, and her fellow young activists or strikers in the movement want the politicians to listen to climate scientists. Besides, they want politicians to take appropriate action to curb global warming.

The applicant also said that she, along with her family members, is setting up a non-profit foundation for handling money from things such as book royalties, donations, and prizes. At last, she said that the foundation would aim to promote climatic, social, and ecological sustainability, and also mental health. For more visit: https://www.trademarkmaldives.com

Don’t forget to follow us on social media:

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/trademarkmaldives/

Twitter – https://twitter.com/trademarkmaldiv

Linkedin – https://www.linkedin.com/company/trademarkmaldives/

Pinterest – https://in.pinterest.com/trademarkmaldives/

Tumblr – https://trademarkmaldives.tumblr.com/

8 Significant Trademark Terms You Must Know

8 Significant Trademark Terms You Must Know

In the present era of rapid advancements and cut-throat competition, the importance of Intellectual Property (IP) is exponentially increasing. Besides significance, thefts and unauthorized uses of IPs are also multiplying, thus making the owners think about the protection of their valuable IP. Amongst the several ways in which one can safeguard his/ her IP assets, trademark registration appears to be the easiest one when it comes to the protection of the businesses’ unique brand names, logos, or slogans. Apart from preventing the use of one’s hard work without his/ her permission, the trademark serves him/ her business with remarkable goodwill and reputation. And this is what makes it the foremost choice of many entrepreneurs and companies worldwide.

Trademark is assuredly emerging as one of the excellent kind of IP and interests more and more businesses, you still need to comprehend some frequently used terms while planning obtaining protection for your mark. In this article, we will explain a few important trademark terms in simple and understandable language.

  1. Trademark

 It can be anything like a sign, symbol, name, sound, or word that distinguishes its proprietor’s products or services from that of others.

  1. Class

A trademark class represents a distinct group of goods and services. As per the NICE Classification, which is an international classification system followed by most registries, the class of goods and services to which the trademark pertains must be specified in the application. There are many trademark classes, and each class holds various goods or services, which are not always obvious from the class name. Under NICE Classification, goods and services are divided into 45 classes, out of which 1-34 define goods while 34-45 include services.

  1. Priority Claim

Priority claim refers to a right given by the majority of countries worldwide to the applicant of a trademark that has been filed for the very first time. Under this, the applicant applying for registration of a mark for the first time is granted the right to claim priority while filing applications to register the same mark in other countries within six months from the date of the first filing. If priority is claimed, the second application would be considered as having been filed on the same date of the first filing. As a consequence, the applicant will enjoy prior rights against applications filed by other parties from the date of filing in the first nation.

  1. Infringement

Trademark Infringement is an issue, which occurs when a mark that’s identical or confusingly similar to another company’s trademark is used without the owner’s permission.

  1. Trademark Journal

 It is where the mark is published if the application hasn’t been refused by the duty officer during the trademark registration process. In this way, the Trademark Law provides the public with a legal opportunity to file an opposition against the registration of the associated mark. Note that the opposition should be filed within a limited period before Trademark Protection is granted.

  1. License

It is an agreement amid a trademark owner (licensor) and another party (licensee), where the licensor allows the licensee to make specific and limited use of his/ her trademark. These licenses are often subject to royalty payments.  

  1. Symbols ® and ™

The symbols ® and ™ represent that the term on which these are put is someone’s trademark. ® means that the trademark is registered with the associated registry, and this symbol cannot be used before the Trademark Registration Process is completed. However, ™ can be used if the company is using its mark as a trademark even though it hasn’t yet applied for their mark.

  1. Distinctiveness and descriptiveness

As the prime purpose of a trademark is to identify its origin, it must be distinctive to the consumers to be accepted by the registry. In general, arbitrary trademarks like Blackberry and fanciful trademarks like Nike are considered as the most distinctive ones. Along with being distinctive, your trademark should be descriptive, i.e., it describes some characteristics like the quality, quantity, value, origin, or intended purpose of the goods or services. Descriptive trademarks cannot be secured as a trademark unless their extensive usage enables them to have acquired distinctiveness.

The above information will hopefully prove beneficial for you, no matter whether you want to register your trademark or provide your Registered Trademark as a license to any third party. In other words, the data will help you in protecting as well as monetizing your trademark. For more visit: https://www.trademarkmaldives.com

Don’t forget to follow us on social media:

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/trademarkmaldives/

Twitter – https://twitter.com/trademarkmaldiv

Linkedin – https://www.linkedin.com/company/trademarkmaldives/

Pinterest – https://in.pinterest.com/trademarkmaldives/

Tumblr – https://trademarkmaldives.tumblr.com/

Amendments Made to Canadian Trademark Law on 17th June 2019

Amendments Made to Canadian Trademark Law on 17th June 2019

Countries, no matter whether to strengthen the existing trademark protection or to include additional rules, often bring changes in their trademark laws. Almost all of us know how crucial role the trademark law plays in the protection of Intellectual Property (IP) assets. By providing relevant and robust trademark rights, it helps the owners in not just preventing unauthorized users from using their unique creation but also creating goodwill among customers. However, to obtain expected results, it is crucial to stay up-to-date with the reforms made in such laws and their corresponding rights. Here, in this article, you’ll be going to get updated with the recent changes in the Trademark Law of Canada.

  1. Availability of Madrid Applications

Canadian applicants from now would be able to file the Trademark Applications in over eighty (80) countries worldwide just through a single international filing. With this new opportunity, it will be easy for Canadian applicants to manage their international trademark portfolios.

Similarly, applicants from the Madrid Protocol nations will be able to designate Canada in not just their International Trademark Applications but also existing Madrid registrations. Moreover, the incoming protocol applications would charge similar to the national applications – as per the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO).

  1. Increase in Filing and Renewal Fees

Filing Fees

Previously, CIPO tends to charge a fee of $250 for filing a trademark application encompassing any number of classes of products and services, along with $200 as the trademark registration fee. Nevertheless, to apply for a trademark after June 17, the applicant has to pay the filing fee of 330 CAD for the first class of products or services, along with 100 CAD for each additional class of products or services. For all these applications, the trademark registration fee is eliminated.

Renewal Fees

The renewal fee has been increased to 400 CAD from 350 CAD for the first class of products and services with an additional 125 CAD charges for each new class of products and services.

  1. Declarations of Use Is No Longer Required

After 17th June, Declarations of Use is no longer required for Trademark Registration in Canada. Note that this change applies to not just applications filed after June 17 but also applications pending as of this date. It means that all the applications filed before June 17, 2019, can proceed to trademark registration in Canada (once the opposition period expires) simply with payment of registration fee, without filing the Declaration of Use.

  1. Information Regarding Use Is No Longer Needed

Applicants filed the trademark applications on or after 17th June need not indicate whether he/she has previously used the trademark in Canada or abroad. In other words, the applications filed on or after this date are applicable to get approved even if they do not tell whether the concerned applicant has registered and used the Trademark in Canada or foreign countries.

  1. Nice Classification Appears Mandatory

As per June 17th amendments, all the new applications must be filed with Nice classifications. Moreover, the pending applications that have not yet advertised for objection/opposition purposes must be classified. Note that for unclassified registrations, the CIPO will request the Nice classification upon renewal.

Although this requirement of the Nice classification is expected to bring Canada more in line with the international norms, it does not mean that CIPO will become lenient in its practice of reviewing goods and services descriptions. All the goods and services must still be adequately specified under stringent standards set by CIPO.

Are You Getting Ready for Trademark Registration under Amended Law?

In the days after the reforms came into force, you as an owner, who’s looking for trademark registration in Canada should emphasize taking immediate steps, based on appropriate and up-to-date information. It will help you in saving costs in processes like filing multi-class applications, renewing multi-class registrations, etc. Besides, you must also think about streamlining your portfolio management. You should focus on using the Madrid international filing system and filing applications for non-traditional and international trademarks. For more visit: https://www.trademarkmaldives.com

Don’t forget to follow us on social media:

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/trademarkmaldives/

Twitter – https://twitter.com/trademarkmaldiv

Linkedin – https://www.linkedin.com/company/trademarkmaldives/

Pinterest – https://in.pinterest.com/trademarkmaldives/

Tumblr – https://trademarkmaldives.tumblr.com/

Europe’s Top Court Adviser Says Amazon Must Check for Trademark Infringements

Europe’s Top Court Adviser Says Amazon Must Check for Trademark Infringements

An adviser to Europe’s top court has recently said that Amazon, the US online retail giant is not liable for unconsciously stocking products causing Trademark Infringement for third-party sellers, but should be careful in checking whether the products are legal or not.

The adviser gave his opinion on a case pitting Amazon against the US cosmetics firm Coty. The dispute reflects one of the many battles amid online platforms like Amazon, eBay, etc., fighting against online business barriers and luxury products firms seeking to preserve their branding and exclusivity. The opinion from Manuel Campos Sanchez-Bordona, the advocate general at the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), came in response to a case concerning Coty’s German subsidiary. It is the subsidiary that took Amazon to a German court for stocking its Davidoff perfume for third-party sellers.

Coty said that such practices infringe on its trademark rights, and Amazon should be responsible for stocking trademark infringing products.

Campos Sanchez-Bordona said that the companies, which are unaware of trademark infringements, cannot be held liable for storing such products for third-party sellers. He also raises the question of the online platforms’ responsibility for the content transmitted or products sold on their sites. He even said that if the firms actively participate in disseminating the products and operate schemes like Amazon’s, then they must show diligence in checking the legality of products advertised or sold on their platforms.

Amazon’s Scheme

The US online retail giant under its scheme known as “Fulfilled by Amazon” stores and delivers products for third-party sellers and this is one of the main features of its whole business model.

Campos Sanchez-Bordona continued by saying that the companies should be aware that they cannot absolve themselves of responsibility. They must understand that without this control, their platforms can serve as a channel for advertisement and sale of counterfeit, stolen, illegal, or unethical products.

Amazon, in regards to this, said that it made efforts to combat fake products on its platform. The company added that they continuously invest heavily in battling against bad actors and are committed to turning counterfeits to zero on their platform. Moreover, courts have ruled in their favor in the first two instances of this action, and they are now expecting preliminary legal clarification from the CJEU.

Nonetheless, Coty did not immediately respond to the request, but the Luxembourg-based court, which looks in the majority of cases related to such non-binding recommendations, would normally provide a verdict in the next two to four months. For more visit: https://www.trademarkmaldives.com

Don’t forget to follow us on social media:

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/trademarkmaldives/

Twitter – https://twitter.com/trademarkmaldiv

Linkedin – https://www.linkedin.com/company/trademarkmaldives/

Pinterest – https://in.pinterest.com/trademarkmaldives/

Tumblr – https://trademarkmaldives.tumblr.com/

How to Protect Mobile Apps against Intellectual Property Theft?

How to Protect Mobile Apps against Intellectual Property Theft?

The speed with which enterprises across different sectors and industries are undergoing digital transformations has left the majority struggling for the protection of their data and Intellectual Property (IP). The reports showing tremendous losses due to theft and duplication of mobile apps worldwide each year clarifies that only firewalls are no longer sufficient to protect these assets. As more and more companies adopt the use of mobile devices and applications, the threats extend far beyond the traditional concepts. With the estimation that 80% of tasks would be going to take place through mobile apps by 2020, securing them must be the top priority for their developers. Businesses should realize that if a mobile app can make them; it can also break them in case the innovative and valuable source code gets stolen. It is because mobile apps are inherently vulnerable to hacking, copying, and more. To understand this phenomenon and learn how to protect your mobile applications against the growing threat of IP theft, read further.

What is IP Theft in Regards to Mobile Apps?

Intellectual property refers to a category of valuable assets that includes intangible creations of human intellect. In general, types of IP vary from country to country; however, some most common ones are copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, and patents. Digital IP encompasses algorithms and source codes, while mobile IP theft involves piracy and cloning of whole or parts of mobile apps.

Why and How Should You Protect your Mobile Apps?

Designed to bring a multitude of services at the users’ fingertips, mobile apps’ flexibilities and portabilities make them attractive to not just users but infringers as well. Hence, it is as imperative to fully preserve your app’s functionality as it is to protect the app itself. Well, mobile application protection software is an excellent tool to safeguard your app. By mutually reinforcing multiple layers of non-stop protection integrated into your app’s code, it can defend your app’s integrity and buzz off security threats while optimizing app performance. Nonetheless, relying on application protection software alone may not be sufficient in many cases, especially when the theft of unique code or app can result in reputational losses. Therefore, in addition to mobile application protection software, you must emphasize protecting your apps with patents, trademarks, copyrights, or other relevant Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs). For instance, copyright registration can prevent copycats from copying your app codes or user interface (UI) elements. Besides, if you want to safeguard your apps’ artistic aspects like images, sound, videos, etc., then also Copyright Protection is the best tool.

Filing a Patent Application is another significant way to reinforce the protection of your mobile app. Although, in general, the technological arrangement of mobile apps and the way how they communicate with other mobile apps/devices and servers are patentable, the patentability criteria still vary from country to country. Hence, to avoid any delay or monetary loss due to the rejection of your patent application, you must always proceed after ensuring if your app is eligible to obtain Patent Protection. A knowledgeable Patent Attorney can assist you in checking whether your app suffices the patentability criteria or not, learning How to Apply for a Patent without committing any mistake, and more.

The name and logo that make the viewer identify and distinguish your mobile app from others are crucial assets, and no one except you should make profits from these. Trademarks are the IPRs that have been intended to safeguard one’s identity by preventing others from using the same or similar name or mark, which may create confusion. A Registered Trademark will also increase your mobile apps’ credibility, and thus serve you with more users. Hence, you should never miss out on the opportunity of securing your app’s name and logo under Trademark Protection.  

Conclusion

Undoubtedly, ensuring comprehensive protection of your mobile application against IP theft is not only arduous but appears impossible in some cases. However, if used together, the above-mentioned mobile application protection software and Intellectual Property Protection tools will never let you down due to the theft or misuse of your app. So, whether you are coming up with a new app or revamping an already existing one, it is always advisable to devise an appropriate strategy by combining these two protection shields. Don’t forget that it is the aptest way to make benefits from your mobile app without any concern in today’s era, where such applications are a part of continuously changing and fast-moving technology. For more visit: https://www.trademarkmaldives.com

Don’t forget to follow us on social media:

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/trademarkmaldives/

Twitter – https://twitter.com/trademarkmaldiv

Linkedin – https://www.linkedin.com/company/trademarkmaldives/

Pinterest – https://in.pinterest.com/trademarkmaldives/

Tumblr – https://trademarkmaldives.tumblr.com/

 

4 Simple Steps to Secure Website’s Content with Copyright

4 Simple Steps to Secure Website’s Content with Copyright

Your website content that represents your business online is one of the most considerable aspects distinguishing you and your competitors. It is what makes customers find you and buy from you. As a content creator, you put hours into creating unique and eye-catchy content that helps you in attracting your potential consumers and search engines like Google, Bing, etc. Google and many other search engines frown on duplicate content and thus, push the related site to lower rankings. The lower your website ranks within the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs), the less traffic you get. Therefore, to list your website amongst high rankers on SERPs and make expected earnings as well as brand equity, it is crucial to prevent your content from being stolen or used by unauthorized users. In today’s continuously turning digital world, Copyright Registration is an excellent approach to prohibit others from violating your original content, which is your Intellectual Property (IP). 

Here, you will discover four simple steps to register a copyright for your website content according to the U.S. Copyright Law. The law states that your content is copyrighted as soon as it gets published and you need not necessarily register a copyright for the same. However, several IP Lawyers believe that doing so will help the original owner to prove his ownership if he/she comes across lawsuits like Copyright Infringement. The below step-wise process will aid you in obtaining the copyright protection that not just legally safeguard your website’s content but also enhance your business’s integrity.

The Process to Register Copyright for Website’s Content

  1. Make Use of Copyright Symbol

However, adding a copyright symbol to your content doesn’t fall under the registration process, but it is beneficial as doing so will result in the fast processing of your application. Besides, having a copyright symbol will help you in preventing unauthorized users from stealing your content by making them comprehend that the specific content is your IP, and they need to seek your permission for using it.

  1. Gather and List Materials To be Copyrighted

Undoubtedly, all of us want to protect our websites completely, but for full protection, we have to register copyrights for individual blogs, images, and any other media. It is because the U.S. Copyright Office considers all these to be separate entities, and therefore, single copyright for a site may not fully protect all posts, media files, etc. Luckily, it is possible to register collections of content, which means we won’t need to apply for individual copyright for every post and image. In other words, we can prevent the content on our websites by categorizing it under separate lists and then, filing a copyright application for each list. Hence, going through the website carefully to compile lists of content to be registered is a vital step while registering copyright.

  1. Submit Copyright Registration Application

If you are done with the task of compiling lists of content to be registered, then the next step is to file a copyright registration application. Nonetheless, before filling any form, it is imperative to produce hard copies of your content and understand that registration of the copyright is possible in two ways: online or via mail. To register online, you have to access an online application by creating an account with the copyright office. After that, you need to find a form that suits your content followed by filling it with the required details and ultimately submitting it. On the other side, if you want to carry out the submission through the mail, then there is a need to find out the suitable form, fill it, and finally mail it along with the set amount of filing fee. Your work doesn’t limit to just submission of the copyright application; instead, you have to keep an eye on its status until it gets processed.

  1. Create Schedule to Copyright New Material On Regular Basis 

Once your application gets approved, you will never have to renew the registration. However, note that the new content added to your website in the future will not automatically get protected by the registered copyright. Submitting a new registration application whenever you come up with additional content will be advantageous in maintaining robust and up-to-date protection. It will also appear efficient in preventing payment of complete filing fee for every new content and assuring that all your posts, images, or other content are safe. Therefore, you are always suggested to set reminders or add dates for registration updates to your calendar.

Importance of Copyrighting Your Website’s Content

A copyright is an Intellectual Property Right (IPR) that empowers you to control how your creative works, including books, movies, content, etc., can be accessed or used by others. Registered copyright provides rights that prohibit others from infringing on your IP assets. In short, registering a copyright is the most efficient approach to obtain Intellectual Property Protection that not only keeps you away from infringement losses, encompassing low website rankings on SERPs, less traffic, or more, but also creates integrity, which will result in noteworthy profits. For more visit: https://www.trademarkmaldives.com

Don’t forget to follow us on social media:

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/trademarkmaldives/

Twitter – https://twitter.com/trademarkmaldiv

Linkedin – https://www.linkedin.com/company/trademarkmaldives/

Pinterest – https://in.pinterest.com/trademarkmaldives/

Tumblr – https://trademarkmaldives.tumblr.com/

Older Posts