Trademark: The most valuable asset that a business owns

A trademark is the ‘most valuable asset that a business owns’. This is according to Gerard du Toit, a senior associate in the Intellectual Property department at ENS Africa. He tells the Business Hour that a trademark is a business’ badge of origin and it essentially distinguishes your goods and/or services from those of your competitors. “It’s that name that you’re putting out in the market to draw consumers to the product that you’re selling or service that you’re providing” he stresses.

Du Toit explains that business owners/founders can formally apply to register their trademark through the Companies and Intellectual Commission (CIPC). The CIPC administers the trademark process. It is here that entrepreneurs can formally apply for protection and register the “statutory right”.