Word mark or logo: which should you register first?
To protect a brand, distinguish the importance of the name itself from that of a particular design.
Word marks and logos differ in more than the file you submit. The form of the registered mark can affect both the examination and the scope of rights after registration.
If the name is central, consider a word mark first
A is appropriate when you primarily want to protect the name itself.
For example, if you intend to keep using the brand name but have not finalized a typeface or logo, a word-mark application may be worth considering first.
If the name is sufficiently distinctive, its protection may remain useful even if you change the logo design later.
A commonly used descriptive expression, however, may not be registrable on its own as a word mark.
What changes when the logo matters?
A application covers a specific visual composition, including graphics, lettering, and arrangement as well as words.
For example, a name with weak may warrant a separate registrability assessment when combined with an original graphic that makes the overall mark distinctive.
Registration of the complete logo does not necessarily give broad, independent protection to a non-distinctive word element within it.
Being able to register a logo and adequately protecting the brand name itself are different questions.
Should you register both the name and the logo?
Separate applications may be appropriate if protection of both the name and the specific matters to your business.
Each separate application incurs its own filing and registration fees.
Priorities should therefore reflect the mark you actually use, the name's , the logo's importance, and your budget.
What if you use both Korean and English?
You may consider filing the Korean and English wording as one composite mark or as separate marks.
Similar pronunciation does not always mean the two forms will be treated as the same mark. Conversely, different spellings may still conflict with because of similar sound or meaning.
The filing approach should reflect actual brand use and the importance of each version.
What happens to your rights if you change the logo later?
Whether a revised is considered the same mark as the registered version in ordinary commercial practice requires a case-specific assessment.
A significant redesign calls for review of both its relationship to the existing scope of protection and whether use of the new design counts as use of the registered mark.
OWNB considers the registrability of the name and logo alongside your plans for use when recommending which forms to prioritize.