Frequently Asked Questions on trademarks
[What can be registered as a trademark]
- Can a trademark formed by two letters be protected?
- Can the name of a game to be played on Internet be registered as a trademark?
- Must the trademark have a connection with the product to which it refers?
- I am the president of an association and it is my intention producing a small journal to be distributed to the public. I would like to protect the name of it so that nobody could copy it. How can I do this?
- Is it better to register just a word or the name with the graphic?
- I am the owner of a firm producing chimneys. I would like to use the name of the town where I was born as a trademark for a new line. Can I do it or there are any particular reasons preventing this?
- How is the name and image of a creative character protected?
- Could the name of a daily newspaper, which is not registered as a trademark, be used as the name of a magazine?
- In order to register a trademark is it necessary to have a VAT number?
- To obtain protection of a little slogan to be used in the whole of Europe, should a trademark be deposited for every language of every country, or could one application including them all be enough?
- We are starting a business and we would like to know if it is possible registering, besides the name of the company, also a phrase that forms it? Furthermore, for the products, could we patent the line names?
- What is the advantage of having a registered trademark?
[In which countries is the trademark protected]
- What is the difference between the International and the Community trademark?
- Having to protect my trademark in Germany, is it more convenient depositing directly in that country or applying for the International trademark?
- Could I use a trademark registered for certain products also for different products?
- As Italy is part of the European Union, if I register a trademark in Italy, is it valid in the whole community territory?
[For which products is the trademark protected]
[Novelty and validity of the trademark]
- I want to register a trademark, but first I want to be sure not to have any problems with others who could have used it before me. What can I do?
- Is it possible to register in one’s own name the trademark of a firm that has now become insolvent?
- Does a registered trademark guarantee its novelty?
- Is a trademark that has not been used still valid?
- “Years ago, my father, owner of the firm “X”, registered a trademark. In 1993 the business closed down, even if lawfully it still exists. I would like to know if the trademark is still valid and what must I do to preserve the validity of it”.
[The circled R]
[Situations]
- If I invent a new way to write the word “apple”, can I deposit the invention with a particular graphic and get payment from whoever uses it?
- I would like to know if and how can a movie prize be protected?
- When can a trademark be used without the risk of it being copied?
- In order to use the trademarks of the suppliers, should an authorization be asked?
- Could a notorious trademark of someone else be used as a decorative feature of a t-shirt?