A trademark is a sign that distinguishes your goods or services from those of other businesses. It helps customers identify your brand and can become a valuable business asset.
Trademarks can include words, names, logos, letters, numbers, shapes, colours, sounds and other distinctive signs, depending on the jurisdiction.
Registering a trademark can help you protect your brand and build long-term business value.
Strengthen your legal rights against unauthorized use of identical or confusingly similar marks.
Help customers identify and distinguish your products or services.
A registered trademark can be licensed, assigned or sold.
Secure your brand in important markets as your business expands.
For a sign to be registered as a trademark, it must be capable of being represented graphically. Registration provides exclusive rights and legal protection against infringement.
A trademark can be much more than a business name or logo. Depending on the jurisdiction, different types of distinctive signs may qualify for trademark protection.
| Mark Type | Definition & Registration Tips | Examples |
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Word Marks |
A word mark protects distinctive words, letters, numbers or phrases used to identify a brand. It is commonly used for brand names, product names and slogans. |
Google; Ford |
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Tips: 1. Protecting a brand name as a word mark can provide flexibility in how the name is displayed.
2. Local-language brand names may also require separate protection in certain markets, particularly Mainland China. |
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Logo Marks |
A logo mark protects distinctive visual elements of a brand, such as a symbol, graphic or stylised design. |
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Tip: If your brand name and logo are both important and may be used separately, consider protecting them separately.
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3-D Shape Marks |
A shape mark can protect a distinctive three-dimensional shape associated with a product or its packaging. |
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Tip: Not every shape is registrable. The requirements vary by jurisdiction.
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Colour Marks |
A distinctive colour or combination of colours may qualify for trademark protection where it functions as an indicator of commercial origin. |
(Tiffany Blue)
(Cadbury Purple)
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Sound Marks |
A Sound Mark is a type of trademark where a sound is used to uniquely identify the commercial origin of products or services. |
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Others |
Smell Marks, Motion Marks, etc. |
Smell Marks, Motion Marks, Multimedia Marks, Position Marks, Pattern Marks. |
The most common forms of trademarks. They protect the actual text, letters, or numbers associated with your brand, regardless of the font or styling used.
If your product has a highly distinctive 3D shape or unique packaging that consumers immediately associate with your brand, it can be registered.
Non-traditional trademarks like a specific jingle, a unique corporate colour, or even a distinctive smell can be registered if they graphically represent your unique brand identity.
Whether you have a traditional word mark, a distinctive logo or a unique brand colour, our team can help prepare your Singapore application and support filing in overseas markets.
