We finally made it! We registered our logo as a figurative trademark and additionally the name NATALIS as a wordmark in the European Union. It may be just a small step in marketing in general, but it’s a big one for NATALIS as a company. Many people didn’t understand why we were even doing it, what good it would do us, or how much effort we were putting into it. However, for us, it was essential, and in this short article, we will try to explain how the whole process went and why it is beneficial for companies like ours to have their BRAND protected.
Why It All Came About
First of all, we have been considering how to push NATALIS forward for a while. Sure, you might say, it’s better to invest in education, people, equipment, creativity. And you are right. We are already doing all that and much more. However, we want to expand. With our specialization in iGaming marketing throughout Europe and online marketing in Slovakia and the Czech Republic, at the very least.
At the same time, we want to differentiate ourselves from the competition, be more professional, and appear more trustworthy to our clients. Our decision was also influenced by Michal Pastier’s Yellow Book and, most importantly, his lecture as part of expert studies at the Digital University, which our employees are attending. These two things were the final puzzle pieces that pushed us to protect our own intellectual property.
The Trademark Registration Process
Although we commonly recommend trademark registration to our clients as part of their marketing strategy, the process of our own registration was an interesting adventure. We knew we didn’t want to handle it ourselves, so we started looking for an experienced law firm to guide us through the process. Fortunately, this happened relatively quickly, and we chose the firm Trama Legal. A really good choice.
First, we had to decide what type of trademark we wanted to apply for. Even after discussions with the law firm representing us, the first choice fell on a figurative trademark. It protects not only our logo but also partially the name NATALIS itself.
We proceeded with a thorough availability check to make sure our logo or name was not already registered by another company. We submitted our application through our legal representatives to the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO).
Things got unpleasant when a company from France contacted us, objecting to our application. They claimed that the name NATALIS in our logo was too similar to the name of their company, which they had already protected. By the way, this is exactly why having a trademark is important. At least we got to test it in practice.
Thanks to the experience of our legal team from Trama Legal, we eventually reached an agreement with the French company and limited our protection purely to the marketing segment. They operate more in the IT business, so our services do not compete with each other. After the agreement with the mentioned company, no other objections were raised, and after about three months, we received a positive response from the relevant authorities. Our trademark for the logo was successfully registered.
Our Reasons for Obtaining a Trademark
We truly don’t consider obtaining a trademark as merely an aesthetic change to the logo. The main motivation was to protect our brand before launching branding advertising campaigns. That was the primary reason. But we also wanted to provide a certain level of credibility to our partners and clients. Of course, we are aware that quality work and reliability are the most important factors. But the details matter, and clients appreciate working with a respected and successful partner. We believe that’s who we are. By taking care of our brand, we are sending a clear message that we are serious about our business and are not afraid to move forward.
Our customers can now be sure that our products and services are original and meet certain quality standards.
Word Trademark NATALIS®
Updated on July 11, 2024: To bring the entire process to a successful conclusion, we also applied for a wordmark, which we successfully obtained today (July 11, 2024).
How We Intend to Use the Trademarks Moving Forward
Even though we are now protected, we must continue to monitor potential copying or misuse and be ready to act if necessary. In essence, it is a never-ending process. Regular monitoring and communication with our legal representatives help us keep our brand protected through the trademark.
Above all, we believe that having a trademark has opened doors for further growth and development. Now, we can confidently invest in building our brand and marketing our products and services. We see great potential for the future growth of our business. We will also protect other services and products in our portfolio, and we have already begun the necessary steps.
To summarize: Registering trademarks for our logo and name is a significant step in protecting our brand and ensuring its future growth. Thanks to this, future expansion will be a bit easier, and we will sleep more peacefully.
We hope this article has provided you with useful insights into the process and benefits of trademark registration for a company. If you have any questions or want to learn more, feel free to contact us. We are happy to share our experiences or guide you through the process.