A trademark is a registered sign that distinguishes the goods and services of one company from another. Neither registration in the Business Register alone nor ownership of a domain gives you protection for your brand. Registration is carried out at the Industrial Property Office for Slovakia, or alternatively at European level, always for selected classes of goods and services. In advertising, a trademark has two practical effects. If you own it, you have a tool against misuse of your name – including filing a complaint with advertising platforms, which have their own procedure for trademark infringements. If you do not own it, a competitor can use your name with substantially less risk. Conversely, merely setting someone else's brand as a keyword need not be an infringement, but using it in the ad text usually is. Discuss specific cases with a lawyer.
See also: Online review management, Corporate crisis communication, Contract with a marketing agency.
