Trademark insights for Jewellery Brands to ensure Brand Protection
Registering a trademark in the UAE is essential for jewellery brands to build an indelible brand identity in the market and in the minds of consumers. However, jewellery businesses need to deal with a huge number of competitors to stand out as a desirable brand in the UAE. Given the number of well-known competitors, it is imperative for jewellery brands to file for trademark registration in the UAE as soon as possible.
A registered trademark will help consumers avoid confusion between your brand and another. Protecting the brand through trademark registration is also essential to protect your business from losing any sales due to possible confusion. Emirati jewellery brands like MKS, Gafla, The O Jewellery etc. owe their success to their brand protection strategies. Follow these key insights, and you will have the best chances of a successful trademark filing:
Determine the aspects of your jewellery brand that you can trademark
Jewellery brands can register their brand name, logo, and slogan as trademarks in the UAE. The brand name should be distinctive, non-generic and non-descriptive. Avoid names such as ‘Glittering Gold’ for a jewellery brand, as ‘glitter’ is a generic word closely associated with jewellery. You can also protect the distinctive packaging or design of the jewellery as a trademark in the UAE. A design can be trademarked if the overall impression of the design (not specific elements of it) can be considered and proven to be associated exclusively with the brand.
Conduct a trademark search to ensure originality
When you come up with a brand name for your jewellery brand, it should be original. If it resembles a previously registered jewellery trademark, it would amount to trademark infringement. The owner of the senior mark can oppose your trademark application, citing confusing similarities. It may lead to litigation or rejection of your trademark application.
Conducting a trademark search before filing the application can save you from such unforeseen events. Trademark agents in the UAE can search the official trademark database to identify any similar marks. If no match is found, you can proceed with your chosen brand name. If a similar mark exists in the database, you may have to come up with a new name for the jewellery brand.
Apply for the right trademark class
Your application for trademark registration in the UAE must fall under a trademark class of goods or services. Choosing the wrong trademark class will create brand confusion, and it will adversely affect brand enforcement. Brand owners will usually register their jewellery trademarks under class 14. Class 14 includes mainly precious metals and certain goods made of precious metals or coated therewith, as well as jewellery, clocks and watches, and component parts.
Register your trademark in the UAE
After the search, you can prepare and submit the application to the UAE Trademark Office at the Ministry of Economy (MoE). Foreign companies can register a trademark in the UAE only through trademark agents. Hire one of the best trademark agents in the UAE to protect your trademark in line with the Trademark Law. The agents will advise you on the requirements.
Protect your trademark abroad
After conducting trademark registration in the UAE, you can think about protecting your brand globally. The UAE is now part of the Madrid Protocol, which is the best way to get your trademark protected globally. By using Madrid Protocol, you can protect your trademark in more than 125 countries in a single filing and in a single language. You need to pay only a single set of fees for international trademark registration through the Madrid Protocol.
Watch your registered trademark
Though the UAE Trademark Office has granted protection for your jewellery brand, the authority is not going to monitor if someone is infringing on your IP rights. Protecting your registered trademark is ultimately your responsibility. You should periodically monitor the marketplace to see if anyone is using your registered trademark without permission.
The sooner you identify the infringement, the quicker you can take appropriate legal action. You can avail of trademark watch services in Dubai to actively monitor the performance of their registered marks in the local marketplace. Trademark agents in the UAE will monitor your trademark to see if anyone is using your mark without authorization.
Hire the Top Trademark Agents in the UAE
It is essential for jewellery brands to carry out trademark registration in the UAE to ensure brand recognition and avoid infringement. By registering a trademark in the UAE, you can get benefits such as nationwide protection, customer loyalty, eligibility for international protection, and the legal right to fight infringers. However, the rules and procedures of the Trademark Office can be tough to grasp, for which you can seek the help of trademark agents in the UAE, such as Jitendra Intellectual Property (JIP).
JIP offers reliable trademark services in the UAE if you would like assistance in protecting your trademark. We are one of the leading IP firms in Dubai with years of experience. We offer cost-effective trademark services in Dubai, such as trademark registration/renewal, trademark watch, trademark search etc. JIP also provides worldwide trademark registration under the Madrid Protocol.