© Copyright Acquisition International 2025 - All Rights Reserved.

Article Image - Is It Worth Investing In Trademarks When Expanding Your Business Globally?
Posted 16th December 2022

Is It Worth Investing In Trademarks When Expanding Your Business Globally?

Most business owners want to ensure that their products resonate with their local consumers before expanding globally. If your product or service has become a success and you know there is a market outside Canada, going global is a good idea. 

Mouse Scroll AnimationScroll to keep reading

Let us help promote your business to a wider following.

Is It Worth Investing In Trademarks When Expanding Your Business Globally?

Most business owners want to ensure that their products resonate with their local consumers before expanding globally. If your product or service has become a success and you know there is a market outside Canada, going global is a good idea.

While expanding your business to reach a global market is great and every business person’s dream, it comes with challenges, such as product imitation, which could negatively impact your brand’s reputation. The good news is that you can solve this problem if you invest in trademarks.

But What Are Trademarks?

Trademarks are part of intellectual property rights that consist of recognisable brand names, logos, slogans, symbols, and sometimes even sounds. Their main purpose is to distinguish one company’s products from its competition.

If you are consistent with quality, your customers will associate your trademarks with quality, which can positively impact your brand’s reputation. A positive brand reputation can attract unscrupulous business people who may want to capitalise on your success to sell their products using your trademarks.

Besides eating into your profits, such business people can significantly damage your brand’s reputation since they may not be as careful about quality. If your customers buy such products believing they are genuine only to get disappointed, your brand’s reputation takes a hit.

Registering Your Trademarks

There is no way of guaranteeing that other businesses will not use your trademarks to sell their products. But you stand a better chance of protecting your brand by registering your trademarks.

In Canada, registering your trademarks starts with conducting an extensive search on the CIPO’s database to ensure that your trademarks are unique, a requirement for registration. You may also need to search the database to ensure that no business or entity can claim your trademark registration application on a first-to-use basis.

This process can be complicated, so you may need an IP expert to help you. After establishing your trademark is unique, the next step will be applying for registration on CIPO’s website.

You could also visit their office in person for registration, but online registration is much simpler. Trademarks registration will result in some costs. Applicable fees for trademarks include official fees, professional fees, and taxes which may vary depending on industry and the products on which you intend to use your trademarks.

Is it Worth Investing in Trademarks?

In Canada, you can expect to pay up to CAD 5,000 in trademark fees if you engage an expert. This figure may sound too high for a startup, but not if you consider its benefits.

The most significant benefit of registering your trademark is getting an exclusive right to use it. Having exclusive rights means you can stop others from using your trademarks, including suing them for damages caused by their infringement of your trademark rights.

If your market reach is significant, CAD 5,000 may not be much, considering the reputational damage and loss of revenue that an infringement on your trademarks can cause.

Global Trademark Protections

Canadian trademark protections may not offer protection in the global market. If you want to enjoy the same protections in other countries, you will also need to register your trademarks in those countries, which can be expensive.

But you can cut that cost by registering your trademarks under the Madrid Protocol administered by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO). Once registered under WIPO, your trademarks enjoy protection in countries that are party to the Madrid Protocol.

The cost of registering your trademark with WIPO will depend on various factors. These include the type of trademark, the number of goods or services you wish to market with the trademark, and handling fees applied by the office of origin, such as CIPO, if you are filing from Canada.

Like registering trademarks in your country, international trademark registrations give you exclusive rights to your trademarks, which is 100% worth it.

Categories: News, Strategy


You Might Also Like
Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
Innovative Leaders:    My Controller
Finance
18/03/2015Innovative Leaders: My Controller

We spoke to Greg Parrish, Director of accountancy and tax practice, My Controller, to find out more about his company, the UK business environment and his secrets for success.

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
The Age of Big Data
Innovation
05/12/2016The Age of Big Data

ORTEC Consulting is a highly renowned specialist in business analytics. We support companies by providing analysts with in-depth experience in advanced analytics.

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
The Minds Behind the New Era of Grant Management
Innovation
07/10/2021The Minds Behind the New Era of Grant Management

Now with the title of ‘Best Online Application Management Solutions Firm’ for 2021 under its belt, USA based company ZoomGrants has been secured in its place as the leader of grant management software solutions. Combining top of the line technology with un

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
Most Innovative Business Leader – UK
Legal
05/05/2016Most Innovative Business Leader – UK

Zyda Law is a boutique law firm specialising in navigating regulatory and statutory processes, which involves achieve planning consents and environmental permits for major infrastructure projects.

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
Longstanding Xero Director Launches Libeo in the UK
Leadership
12/05/2022Longstanding Xero Director Launches Libeo in the UK

With the leadership of newly appointed Glen Foster, Managing Director for the UK and Northern Europe, the move will be powered by Libeo’s competitive advantage and its innovative differentiating features.

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
Business Leaders of 2016
Leadership
01/07/2016Business Leaders of 2016

Regal Food Products Group Plc was established in the heart of Yorkshire in 2010 to cater for the growing needs of the South Asian consumer.

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson LLP Advise Hormel Foods’s acquisition of Applegate
Finance
15/07/2015Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson LLP Advise Hormel Foods’s acquisition of Applegate

Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson LLP Advise Hormel Foods's acquisition of Applegate (Hormel’s largest deal $775 million)

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
Technology That Matches the Purpose
Innovation
02/08/2022Technology That Matches the Purpose

Digitalisation continues to play a major role in shaping the future of the industry sector on the road towards Industry 4.0.

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
AI Adoption Angst: 9 Ways Leaders Are Suffering Inadequate Implementation
Innovation
29/11/2023AI Adoption Angst: 9 Ways Leaders Are Suffering Inadequate Implementation

In today's fast-paced and technology-driven world, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative force that holds the potential to revolutionize the way we work, make decisions and interact with technology. AI promises greater efficiency, data-d



Our Trusted Brands

Acquisition International is a flagship brand of AI Global Media. AI Global Media is a B2B enterprise and are committed to creating engaging content allowing businesses to market their services to a larger global audience. We have a number of unique brands, each of which serves a specific industry or region. Each brand covers the latest news in its sector and publishes a digital magazine and newsletter which is read by a global audience.

Arrow