A trade mark is a sign for identifying goods or services. The trade mark allows the customers to distinguish the competing products so that they can re-purchase the goods which they found satisfactory; the same applies to services. The ® symbol is often used in trade to indicate that a trade mark is registered.
Trade mark protection gives the owner the exclusive right which enables him to defend his sign against illegal imitation.
The use of an identical sign for identical goods and services can be prohibited. In case of infringement the owner may be entitled to claim damages. This applies also to a sign, where, because of its similarity to the trade mark and the similarity of the goods and services, there exists a likelihood of confusion on the part of the public, or the likelihood of association between the sign and the trade mark.
A trade mark can be registered
© 2019 Deutsches Patent- und Markenamt | Stand vom 06.08.2019