Trade marks

Trade marks

Distinguish your goods or services in the market place by using a trade mark. Your trade mark could include words, logos, shapes, colours, sounds, smells or any combination of these.

  • Protects your logo, name and brand
  • Costs $100 per class, excluding GST
  • Takes a minimum of 6 months to acquire
  • Can last up to 10 years before renewal

Getting started

A trade mark identifies a unique product or service. For example, the term BUDGET SUPERMARKET for retail services in relation to food and household items is unlikely to identify one trader from any other in that trade channel.

The benefits of registering a trade mark include:

  • Exclusive right to use the trade mark throughout New Zealand to promote the goods and/or services it covers.
  • Use of the ® symbol with the trade mark
  • Legal protection to deter others from trying to imitate your brand.
  • A good way to distinguish your business from others.
  • Added value to your business that can increase over time as the mark becomes established in the market.
  • The ability to sell or assign the trade mark to another person or business, or license its use to other parties.

If you have a possible trade mark in mind, you can use Trade Mark Check to see if there are trade marks like yours on the NZ Register.