The AFA has received some advice from the Department of Employment, Small Business and Training on protecting your brand.
Tip 1: Use IP Australia’s TM Checker before investing significantly in your brand to:
- search for existing trademarks similar to your name, phrase or logo
- check your trade mark is potentially available.
Tip 2: Register your trade mark to get exclusive rights in Australia for 10 years. An IP Australia examiner will check it meets requirements like:
- not being too generic, not being offensive, and in the correct class of good or service.
Tip 3: Monitor your brand’s online presence and track mentions of it. This helps identify if your registered trade mark is being used without you knowing. Get started with TM Checker.