ROMSO Cyprus Knowledge Base

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The registered trade mark or trade mark (in English Trademark, or Trade mark) identified by the symbol ®, is a distinguishing mark used by an individual, trade organisation or other legal person to identify a product or service to potential consumers, and to show that all products bearing it come from a single source, to distinguish between their products or services and those of other entities. A trademark is a form of intellectual property, usually a name, a word, a phrase, a logo, a symbol, an image, or a combination of these elements.

The owner of a registered trade mark may initiate a trial to prevent the unauthorised use of the trade mark it holds. Registration of a trade mark is not always mandatory. The owner of an unregistered trade mark may also initiate proceedings, but an unregistered trade mark may only be protected in the geographical area in which it is used or in regions where it would be expected to expand.

The oldest trade marks used

Zildjian, a company producing percussion tools, owns the oldest trademark ever used in the US. In the first two hundred years, the brand was used in Turkey, with the family moving to the US later. The Venetian glassers have used a trademark for a long time. In various treaties, it is said that blacksmiths who made swords in the Roman Empire were the first users of brands. Other trade marks used for a long time are Löwenbräu, the owners of which say it has been used since 1383, and Stella Artois since 1366.

Mark registration is made at different government registration offices. The oldest marks registered in various countries were:
In Australia: 1905 - a logo with a tree, used by Fishons plc. for chemicals.
In Hong Kong: 1874 - Nestle brand with a condensed milk eagle.
In Japan: 1884 - a person seated, registered for drugs.
In the United Kingdom: 1876 - The red triangle of the Bass brewery was the first trademark registered under the trademark registration law of 1875.
In the US: 1870 - an eagle, a brand used for the paints of Averill Paints, currently unused.

Symbols
In the US, ™ symbols (for unregistered trade marks) and ® (for registered trade marks) represent the legal status of a trade mark and the level of protection. The ™ symbol can be used with any brand, and ® can only be used by the owner of an officially registered brand. The symbol shall be applied immediately to the right and above the mark.

In Romania
Although a law for the protection of trade marks had been adopted since 1879, the first patented Romanian trade mark appeared only on 13 February 1913, according to the archives of the State Office for Inventions and Marks (OSIM).
In 1913, Neurosal and Bușteni mineral water were recorded.

In the U.S.

Community trade mark

Apple