Have you ever wondered how property developers come up with names for their projects?
- Mont Kiara
- Sierramas
- Setia Eco Park
- Sunway City
- TTDI
- Eco Sky
These are probably names you have heard before. Have you wondered what goes on in the background to come up with these names?
One important thing to remember when selecting a name; all Trademarks are not created equal. The more distinctive the trademark, the stronger and more protectable it will be.
Search
Before deciding on a name, the developer should consider conducting a “trademark search” to determine whether a particular name is available for trademark registration or will it violate another existing trademark.
Filing
Assuming the outcome of the search is a positive one, the developer should then proceed to have the trademark legally registered with the local Intellectual Property office. Filing a trademark application will protect the developer against others who later might use or file an application for the same name or a confusingly similar name.
Enforce
If an improper or unauthorized use goes unchecked, it may weaken a trademark’s strength.
In the case of property developers, this involves unauthorized use by competing developers, agents, or other businesses which are within or nearby the community.
Example: A convenient store next to a Sunway based community might use the name “Sunway Supermart”. This would create confusion amongst consumers into thinking that the mart is owned or managed by Sunway. When in reality they are in no way related.
In conclusion, a lot of work goes into coming up with a suitable name, and this effort shouldn’t go to waste by allowing unauthorized 3rd party use. Necessary steps should be taken in the early stages.
Disclaimer: All names mentioned in this article are property of the respective owners. Lymesol Sdn Bhd does not own or is associated with any of the above mentioned trademarks.