Trademarks can be a word, an illustration, or a symbol, that assist us in identifying a  product’s origin or the source of a service. In other words, these are words and symbols that help us quickly and easily identify that certain merchandise was manufactured by a particular manufacturer. Good examples of this are cars or shoes. We can recognize the manufacturer of the car or shoe merely by looking at a symbol imprinted on it.

The legal definition of a trademark is broad: “Letters, numbers, words, characters, or other symbols or combinations of the above, in two or three dimensions, that serves or is intended to serve a person with regard to the goods that he manufactures or in which he trades.” In fact, most trademarks to which we are exposed on a daily basis are logos, trade symbols, and well-known business names (brands).

In most cases, in order to protect your business name, logo, or product names, in Israel, you need to register a trademark with the Trademark Registrar at the Ministry of Justice. The registration provides you with exclusive rights to use the mark and prevents others from using the registered trademark or marks that are similar. This situation allows an owner to invest in building the reputation of his business, product, or service, and distinguish himself from his competitors without any concerns.

If a third party makes unauthorized use of a registered trademark, the trademark owner can apply for a temporary injunction and afterward, a permanent injunction, to put a stop to the infringement. He can also sue for the destruction of infringing products as well as seek compensatory damages.

The legal definition of a trademark is broad: “Letters, numbers, words, characters, or other symbols or combinations of the above, in two or three dimensions, that serves or is intended to serve a person with regard to the goods that he manufactures or in which he trades.” In fact, most trademarks to which we are exposed on a daily basis are logos, trade symbols, and well-known business names (brands).

Other than the unique case of a “well-known trademark” that enjoys certain protections even without registration, in order to protect your business name, logo, and product names, in Israel, you need to register a trademark with the Trademark Registrar at the Ministry of Justice. The registration provides you with exclusive rights to use the mark and prevents others from using the registered trademark or marks that are similar to the point of being misleading. This situation allows an owner to invest in building the reputation of his business, product, or service, and distinguish himself from his competitors without any concerns.

If a third party makes unauthorized use of a registered trademark, the trademark owner can apply for a temporary injunction and afterward, a permanent injunction, to put a stop to the infringement. He can also sue for the destruction of infringing products as well as seek compensatory damages.