By François Deschamps – Tmark, Intellectual Property Attorney 

On the necessity of serious prior trademark research before registering and using a trademark. There are numerous obstacles to the registration and free use of a trademark, the first of which is prior trademarks. Add to that company names, trade names, some geographical names, domain names orweb sites, and copyrights. 

By adopting an unavailable trademark, you run the risk of an opposition at the trademark office or a trademark infringement action in Court.

Though in trademark infringement cases the courts do not always award damages and interest matching the damages incurred, the consequences of a court decision banning the use of a trademark can be formidable. The owner must abandon themark theywere using within a short timeframe, resulting in lost financial investments in terms of communication, packaging changes, and informing customers of the change. These are consequences thatmay prove dramatic both at the product launch stage and once the mark has become established.

It is therefore imperative to perform appropriate research proactively before adopting a trademark, which requires a certain amount of time for the negotiations that sometimes prove necessary.