A trademark in simple words is a recognisable design, name, logo, etc. something that differentiates one firm or one entity from another. Trademark protection has prevented a lot of fraud and unwanted duplicity and passing off of goods over the years. UAE is a landmark in the world for various reasons, one being a fantastic business hub due to the infrastructure as well as friendly policies of the government. The first step to start a business in UAE is usually reserving the name of the business. This involves registering a trademark in the name of the business.
For any business, having an attractive trademark is an added benefit. There are iconic logos of many famous brands like Adidas, Nike, etc. If these brands sold products without a name, there would absolutely be no success or fame to any of these brands. Identification of products is solely on the name of the seller. This is why a trademark is so important. Every single entity in the world relies on trademarks ranging from non-profit organisations all the way to multinational companies.
How Trademarks Apply to Business Organisations in the UAE?
Trademarks can apply to every organisation possible. Especially when it comes to differentiating goods and services, a trademark is a must to ensure that the original holder gets his share of revenue, as well as the consumer, is not defrauded by the sale of clothes of sub-standard quality.
If a famous shoe company is selling shoes in a market, another small scale company starts selling shoes with the same design but of much inferior quality. The only factor in helping the consumer differentiate and buy the authentic product would be a trademark.
General Trading Sector in the UAE
It is a known fact that every individual associate a brand with a certain style, quality, design. For a trading company, after a while, brand loyalty is a huge factor in its success and for brand loyalty, there has to be a growth in the value of a brand image or trademark. Therefore the general trading companies always have distinct trademarks which can easily be differentiated from others. Moreover, the products are made with the trademark embedded in them. The customs also make sure that any of the fake or counterfeit products are seized and destroyed.
Health Sector in the UAE
Tablets and medicines being manufactured by top pharmaceuticals get mixed up with counterfeit substandard drugs. This can cause huge problems for patients. Hence branding and trademarking in the health sector is literally life-altering. A very distinct one of a kind symbol is an absolute necessity in the health field.
There are also instances of clinics using the name of a hospital as a branch to lure in patients. This has caused instances where misdiagnosis has occurred, and the name and reputation of well-known hospitals have dwindled away. That’s why it is always advised to take proper steps before starting a clinic in the UAE
Clothing and Apparel Industry
This industry is where most of the infringement cases take place. Many fake brands with very similar names or logos always try to pass off shoes, clothing, and sports equipment as a well-known brand’s products. These products are sold at a much cheaper rate, and the quality of the products sold is sub-standard.
A lot of apparel from the Louis Vuitton, Gucci, whose products are very expensive, get remade as fakes and sold on the pretext of being genuine. The general public might not be well versed with the actual cues to the originality of the product. Passing off takes place, and it is difficult to track these sellers as they might be individuals or a small clothing shop without any permanent address. Those looking to start a cloth manufacturing company in the UAE need to be careful
Electronics Industry in the UAE
The electronics industry‘s products are always high-in-demand and are on the more expensive side. This is why a lot of companies take advantage of this and produce electronics with a strong resemblance to the original well-known brand's products.
However, the longevity and sustainability of the fake product are low, and these brands have no service centre and stop functioning after a short period of time. There have been many instances where a consumer couldn’t differentiate between a counterfeit electronic product and an original one.
For example, Apple I Phones are being released in other countries using the same design but a cheaper quality build model. Many consumers purchase these products thinking they are genuine because of the similarity in the logo. Hence it is important for any company dealing in electronics to make sure that the products are well marked and also have unique logo manufacturing style unavailable to the general public.
Need Help?
Are you looking to register your brand with a well-known trademark? Not sure if the trademark you chose has been used by someone else? Our team of experts at Commitbiz can help you with the entire process of trademark registration and all the formalities required. Feel free to contact us