When a person or business entity uses your trademark without your consent, they commit fraud. The strength or weakness of your mark's design can significantly reduce the risk of someone forging your mark, using a similar trademark to confuse the public, or potentially claiming infringement of pre-existing rights. Registering your trademark helps you prove your exclusive claim of ownership. The globalization of markets has significantly increased the opportunity for both legitimate profit and illegal theft and increased difficulties in policing and protecting your claim. Properly marking your goods and services with a registered trademark is an important way to protect your business and your good name or brand.
Brand piracy is a crime because it involves the unauthorized use of your intellectual property, including your trademark, to mislead consumers into buying products or services you did not create or provide. By stealing your protected commercial name and reputation, thieves profit from the sale of counterfeit, inferior or untested goods. They will ruin your business.
Piracy and counterfeiting not only result in the loss of revenue on an international scale but eventually damage your business reputation. A registered trademark is a valuable tool that helps you keep the quality of your brand. It also helps you pursue legal recourse against those who violate accepted commercial practices by breaking national and international laws.