{"id":5777,"date":"2022-07-25T10:16:37","date_gmt":"2022-07-25T08:16:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.copyright.eu\/docs\/the-legal-requirements-for-trademark-validity\/"},"modified":"2022-08-12T16:26:52","modified_gmt":"2022-08-12T14:26:52","password":"","slug":"the-legal-requirements-for-trademark-validity","status":"publish","type":"docs","link":"https:\/\/www.copyright.eu\/docs\/the-legal-requirements-for-trademark-validity\/","title":{"rendered":"The legal requirements for trademark validity."},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"slds-rich-text-editor__output uiOutputRichText forceOutputRichText\" dir=\"ltr\" data-aura-rendered-by=\"11:167;a\" data-aura-class=\"uiOutputRichText forceOutputRichText\">\n<ul data-aura-rendered-by=\"12:167;a\">\n<li><b>Representability:<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-aura-rendered-by=\"12:167;a\">To be registered, the trademark must first <b>be capable of being represented<\/b> in the national trademark register, that is, it must be <b>accessible and intelligible<\/b> so that third parties can determine precisely and clearly the subject matter of the protection. For example, a drawing, logo, sound, or video file are acceptable formats. <\/span><\/p>\n<ul data-aura-rendered-by=\"12:167;a\">\n<li><b>Distinctiveness:<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-aura-rendered-by=\"12:167;a\">The trademark must then be <b>distinctive<\/b> in relation to the goods and services it designates. That is to say, it must not be descriptive, generic, customary, or designate a characteristic of the product or service (e.g., &#8220;Pure Laine&#8221;, which means pure wool, for a wool carpet). <\/span><br data-aura-rendered-by=\"12:167;a\"><span data-aura-rendered-by=\"12:167;a\">This criterion responds to one of the main functions of the trademark, among which is the essential function of guaranteeing to the consumer <b>the identity of the product or service&#8217;s origin<\/b> to distinguish them without confusion from others. <\/span><br data-aura-rendered-by=\"12:167;a\"><span data-aura-rendered-by=\"12:167;a\">However, a trademark does not have to be original. <\/span><\/p>\n<ul data-aura-rendered-by=\"12:167;a\">\n<li><b>Lawfulness:<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-aura-rendered-by=\"12:167;a\">A trademark must be legal, and then <b>it must not be misleading<\/b> as to the quality, nature, or origin of the goods and services, et <b>not be contrary to public policy and morality<\/b> (such as a racist expression).<\/span><\/p>\n<ul data-aura-rendered-by=\"12:167;a\">\n<li><b>Availability:<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-aura-rendered-by=\"12:167;a\">Finally, the trademark must be <b>available,<\/b>i.e., it must not infringe on other prior rights: registered or well-known trademarks, personality rights, copyrights, company names, domain names, etc. It is therefore imperative to carry out a prior art search to check that the trademark does not imitate or resemble another. The risk is that a third party could oppose the registration, or later launch an action for unfair competition or infringement. <\/span><br data-aura-rendered-by=\"12:167;a\"><br data-aura-rendered-by=\"12:167;a\"><span data-aura-rendered-by=\"12:167;a\">In France, it is necessary to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.copyright.eu\/docs\/le-depot-de-marque\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">file a registration with the National Institute of Intellectual Property (INPI)<\/a> to obtain a trademark registration and benefit from protection.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Afin d&#8217;\u00eatre recevables, les marques d\u00e9pos\u00e9es doivent respecter des crit\u00e8res de validit\u00e9.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1003,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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