TRADE MARKS

For a brief insight of our services regarding trade marks, please click here.

Trade mark (most often – word, graphical sign) is a powerful marketing tool as it enables customers to recognize your business for the quality of its products or services. Registration gives exclusive ownership of trade mark, i.e., confers right to prevent anyone else using your mark on the goods or services for which it is registered, and protects the owner’s goodwill established through advertising and use. Registered trade mark can last indefinitely as long as the renewal fees are paid in the periods of 10-years.

Registration cannot restrict the use of marks, which should be free for general use. Thus, trade mark must not be directly descriptive of the nature, quality, geographic origin, or intended purpose of the goods or services in question. Trade mark which is likely to be confused with a mark already registered for similar goods or services might be opposed by the owner of earlier rights.

Professional assistance for trade mark owners ranges from identifying objects for which protection should be sought, preparing the application and list of goods/services, to representing the applicant before the Patent Office in case of problems in the examination procedure or oppositions against the registration. In Latvia, applications are examined on formal and absolute grounds only; a 3-month opposition period is allowed after registration and publication of the trade mark. Usual time-frame for obtaining the registration certificate in a straight-forward case is 12 months from filing date.

Our attorneys and lawyers advise clients on trademark infringement and unfair competition matters. We have considerable experience of handling the matters involving customs measures.

Well-established relations with associate IP agencies allow us to secure our client’s trade mark rights in the Baltic states, CIS and Asian countries.

Useful information for trade mark applicants