The best way of protecting your brand name is to register it as a trademark which entitled you the exclusive right to use the trademark in relation to the goods and/or services for which the mark is registered. When other people use your registered mark without your consent in the course of trade or business, you may take legal action against them on the basis that they have infringed your mark.

Although unregistered trademarks may still be protected by the common law action of passing off in countries of common law system, you must prove reputation in the unregistered mark and that the other person's use of the mark causes you damage. Passing off is usually a more difficult action to bring than an action for infringement of a registered trademark and hence it should be the last resort. It requires the proof of establishment of goodwill and also leaves the trademark register wide open for third party to register an identical or similar mark to it.

In countries of civil law system, as there is no protection of the common law passing off action, it is significant to register your brand name in these countries as soon as possible to ensure that it is available for use in your business and that you can take immediate action against any infringement.

Please click the following links to have further information about trademark application in different places:

• Hong Kong Trademark Registration
• China Trademark Registration
• Macau Trademark Registration
• Taiwan Trademark Registration
• Japan Trademark Registration
• South Korea Trademark Registration
• Malaysia Trademark Registration
• Singapore Trademark Registration
• Thailand Trademark Registration
• Vietnam Trademark Registration

Please download application form here.