Manage Your Trademark Portfolio Strategically
Tis the season to give. The perfect gift delights and continues to remind you of the giver’s loving care. The perfect gift keeps on giving.
Isn’t that what a trademark does? It’s an asset with the potential to be valuable indefinitely, being used over and over again, often increasing in value with age and use. In this respect, it’s unlike most other corporate assets (except trade secrets). The inventory of tangible assets is meant to be depleted as they are sold e.g. cars or computers when sold offer a one-time contribution to the bottom line. Patents and copyrights by statute expire.
But a trademark has the potential to live forever, as long as it’s properly used and renewed. This makes it potentially very valuable. Long after any patent covering the active ingredient in TYLENOL expired, this well known mark remains valuable by continuing to distinguish Johnson & Johnson’s headache cure from those of its competitors.
The significant value is true of all the famous marks especially on view during the holiday season: the double C on the Chanel handbags, the Tiffany blue on its boxes, and Burberry plaid on raincoats. Good marks don’t wear out, in fact their value increases over time. They are assets worth taking care of and protecting.
Which brings us to slogan, THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING. It was registered as a United States trademark in 1927 by RCA’s predecessor and recently expired. In Canada, it is still a registered mark owned by Thomson Multi Media for phonographs and records. It is a wonderful slogan that captures in suggestive language the gift of playing music over and over.
May the magic of giving be with you this holiday season!