FAQ Entry #157

This is a respond to a previously asked question about the A' Design Award and Competition. The full list of frequently asked questions can be accessed here.

#157: I have my brand or logo patented in my country only. If I were to show this logo in publications, would this be detrimental to the continued existence of my brand, since it will be exposed at an international level where I have no protection. Would an additional copyright covering 164 countries help ?

If you have a registered trademark in your country, it means that no one else could use your brand name and logo in your country. However, it means that the name can be potentially used in other countries. In case for the logo, because you had your unique logo already registered and published, it should be such that no one else should be able to register it in an other country (this means others will not be able to patent it, but they can still use it in other countries). A copyright covering all the countries would probably not help, unless you are a multi-national corporation plus it would also be costly. Disclaimer: This information are given to provide a general insight to the patent and trademark issues, and should not be considered when making the final decision, it is always better get in touch with a consulting agency or a trade-lawyer and our suggestions and personal opinions cannot replace that of a professional.

Keywords: patenting designs, patent designs, design patents, patenting issues, design copyrights, logo patenting, trademark, brand name registration

The following questions could be related:

• #60: Do I need to have a patented, labelled, trademarked or registered product, design or idea to participate in the competition?
• #61: Can I join with my patented, registered, trademarked or labelled products, designs or ideas?
• #134: I am interested in joining the Design competition, but I do not have the copyrights or patents regarding my idea/design. I would like to know if I am eligible without them. If I apply without a patent, what could ensure that my idea/design is secure, how can I protect my design/idea.
• #156: Concerning the privacy and publishing settings I am not quite sure which option to go for. I have no patent for my product, yet if I should be a winner then I would be most interested in having my design published and sent to the press. If my design is seen in various media after I have filed for a patent then I would be more reassured. However, if press release takes place when no measures have been taken to obtain a patent, then this would be risky.
• #188: Is it safe for me to submit designs that I do not yet have patents on?
• #226: Will my award winning entry publicly visible? Can I patent it after results announced?
• #286: I would like to know who will have the patent of designed product. will it belong to winner or your committee?

If you did not find your answer, please feel free to check the faq pages for more questions and answers. You will also want to check our webpage for details; thanks to our transparency policy, we document and publish everything.