Company-name registration
This identifies the entity in the company-registration system. It is separate from the trade mark process and should not be treated as proof that a brand is clear for the intended use.
COMPANY SERVICES · SOUTH AFRICA
Give your brand protection a considered starting point
A distinctive name or logo deserves more than an unchecked application. Vatco helps you organise the information for a South African trade mark filing, define the intended scope and understand the next stages, with specialist intellectual-property advice identified where clearance, objections or disputes require it.
Your requirements · A clear scope · Your next step
YOUR SERVICE GUIDE
Trade mark registration
Trade mark registration
01
Define the markConfirm the owner, brand version and intended use.
02
Assess the scopeIdentify goods, services and relevant review requirements.
03
Prepare the filingTrack the application stages and retain the official record.
Start with the details that matter.
A clear place to start.Tell us what your business needs.
KNOW WHAT YOU ARE PROTECTING
The mark, its owner and its use belong together
A trade mark application needs a clear subject: a word, logo or another qualifying sign distinguishing particular goods or services. Decide which version matters to the business and who should own it before filing. A company name on a registration certificate does not automatically answer either question.
- Trading name: A short trading brand can differ from the full registered company name. Identify the brand actually used so the application addresses the intended commercial identity.
- Logo version: If a refresh is planned, explain which version is being considered for protection before treating the first image in a design folder as the final instruction.
- Intended use: The application should reflect the chosen brand and its commercial use. Connect the mark, proposed owner and relevant goods or services before preparing filing information.
START WITH YOUR SITUATION
Find the right starting point for your business
A new word mark or logo
Identify the exact mark, owner and real goods or services before application preparation. A company name or available domain does not establish freedom to use the brand.
A brand covering several activities
Describe what customers buy and the intended expansion. Class selection affects the separate applications and official charges, rather than providing automatic all-activity protection.
A possible conflict or ownership change
Disclose similar marks, correspondence, previous applications and any founder or designer ownership question. Resolve the specialist advice need before treating administrative filing as sufficient.
COST AND INCLUSIONS
What affects the cost of trade mark registration?
Swipe across to compare all columns.
| Cost item | Amount or pricing basis | What this covers |
|---|---|---|
| Vatco administrative support | Quoted after the mark, owner and classes are defined | Agreed application organisation and coordination; legal opinions and objections require express scope. |
| CIPC ordinary TM1 application | R590 for a specification within one class | Authority fee for the ordinary trade mark application. Separate marks or classes may require separate applications; identify the actual filing plan. |
| Searches and specialist clearance | Separately scoped to the proposed brand | Basic search access and a legal assessment of registrability or conflict are different work; the quote must identify what is included. |
| Objections, changes and future maintenance | Quoted if and when required | Responses, ownership changes, additional territories and renewal work should not be assumed included in the initial application fee. |
Vatco’s professional fee is confirmed in your written quotation. The total depends on the agreed work; any VAT treatment should be stated in the quote.
BEFORE THE APPLICATION
Documents and information to prepare
Describe the actual brand and products or services, including sufficiently concrete expansion plans. An ambition to “do everything” is less useful than a realistic brief. Questions about ownership, assignments or permission need appropriate advice before an application names a party whose entitlement is uncertain.
- Current or planned useBrand-use and expansion brief
Describe where the mark is used, what it identifies and sufficiently concrete expansion plans so the goods and services can be considered accurately.
- Before applicationProposed owner and brand history
Provide the owner’s legal details and explain founders, designers, related companies or earlier businesses involved in creation or use. Resolve uncertain entitlement with appropriate advice.
- Mark to be assessedExact word mark or logo artwork
Supply the spelling and design version, and flag planned changes to slogans or artwork before the application is based on a version you intend to replace.
- Class selectionGoods and services schedule
Describe what customers buy. CIPC applications address a specification within one class, so additional classes need a separate filing and cost decision.
- If relevantEarlier applications and conflict correspondence
Disclose known similar brands, previous filings, objections or rights-holder correspondence. Potential conflicts should be assessed instead of omitted because they complicate preparation.
MAKE THE FILING DECISION
Searching and classification need judgement
A search can identify relevant existing marks, but an exact-name search is not a complete legal clearance exercise. Similarity, the goods or services and other circumstances may matter. Specialist intellectual-property advice can help decide whether and how to proceed when a conflict is known or significant launch investment is planned.
- Goods and services: Identify what protection is sought for in each relevant class. Filing in one class should not be advertised as covering every possible business activity.
- Multiple classes: Where several classes matter, the quote and application plan should identify each separately so the owner understands the scope of the application and its cost.
- Administrative support: Vatco’s agreed role may include organising application information and coordinating administrative work. Distinguish that support from legal opinions on registrability, infringement or the mark’s strength.
- Acceptance: An available company name or website domain does not guarantee trade mark acceptance. The filing instruction should reflect the assessment and the actual protection being sought.
UNDERSTAND THE STAGES
An application moves through several checkpoints
Trade mark registration is a process, not an instant certificate purchase. The application can encounter formal requirements, examination issues and later publication or opposition stages. The exact progress depends on the application and official process. Your records should identify the stage reached rather than treating every reference number as proof of registered rights.
- 01
Agree the application scope
Confirm the owner, mark and goods or services, together with the classes and preparation included. Identify any search or specialist review that must happen before filing.
- 02
Prepare and lodge
Organise the application information, representation and authority required for the applicable process. Keep the filing reference and details of what was submitted so that subsequent correspondence can be matched to the correct application.
- 03
Respond to official developments
Review examination correspondence or other requirements and identify the action needed. Substantive objections or opposition may require specialist assistance outside an ordinary filing instruction.
- 04
Record the final outcome
Retain the official result and, if registration is granted, the registration details and future maintenance requirements. A refusal, withdrawal or outstanding query should be recorded accurately rather than hidden behind a generic “submitted” status.
AFTER FILING
Keep control of the mark and the correspondence
Identify who will receive official correspondence and who has authority to approve responses. A missed request can matter even when the business is busy with a launch. Keep the application pack, references and communications in a central record that can be handed over if an employee or adviser changes.
If the business expands into another market, changes the mark or transfers ownership, the original filing may need further consideration. South African registration should not be described as automatic worldwide protection. Ask for the relevant scope and next steps rather than assuming that one certificate covers every future use.
Costs and exclusions
The quote should identify the mark and classes covered, official charges, preparation and any search work included. Additional classes, objections, opposition and specialist advice may create separate work that needs agreement.
Timing and maintenance
Ask for a current estimate based on the actual stage, while recognising that official examination and any contested issues affect progress. Once registered, applicable renewals and record updates need ongoing attention.
CONNECT THE NEXT PIECE.
Related support
for your business.
YOUR QUESTIONS. A CLEARER NEXT STEP.
Trade mark registration:
frequently asked questions.
01Is my company name already protected as a trade mark?
Company-name registration and trade mark registration are separate processes. A company registration certificate should not be used as evidence that the brand has been examined or registered as a trade mark. If the name is important to the business, identify the intended goods or services and obtain the appropriate assessment before relying on assumed protection.
02Should I apply for the name, the logo or both?
That depends on what the business uses, what it wants to protect and the relevant advice. A word and a particular logo are not necessarily the same filing decision. Provide the exact versions and explain any planned redesign. The scope should identify each proposed mark clearly so that an application is not prepared for artwork the business no longer intends to use.
03Will one application cover all my business activities?
Not automatically. The application identifies particular goods or services within the relevant classification framework, and separate classes may require separate applications. Describe the actual business activities and realistic expansion plans. The quote should make the proposed coverage understandable rather than promising unrestricted protection for everything the company might do.
04Can you guarantee that the trade mark will be registered?
No. The outcome depends on the mark, the applicable requirements and the examination and any contested process. Administrative support should not be sold as a guarantee of registrability or freedom from conflicting rights. Where a potential problem is identified, specialist advice can help assess the options before further filing or launch costs are incurred.
05What happens if someone objects to the application?
The response depends on the nature and stage of the issue. Keep the official correspondence and obtain the appropriate advice promptly rather than assuming it is a routine form correction. Substantive objections or opposition may require specialist intellectual-property assistance. The original filing scope should explain whether that work is excluded and how additional support would be agreed.
06Does a South African registration protect the brand overseas?
It should not be treated as automatic worldwide protection. Other markets may require separate assessment and applications through the relevant routes. Tell us where the business plans to trade and which countries matter commercially. That allows the South African filing decision to be considered alongside the need for appropriate advice about protection elsewhere.
Have a question about your situation?
USEFUL INFORMATION, CLOSE TO HAND.
Resources for
your next step.
Go deeper with guidance from the relevant authorities.
OFFICIAL RESOURCE
CIPC: register a trade mark
Read official application and classification guidance.
Open the resource OFFICIAL RESOURCECIPC: trade mark forms and fees
Check the official application forms and class-related requirements.
Open the resource OFFICIAL RESOURCECIPC: maintain a trade mark
Review maintenance and post-application information.
Open the resource OFFICIAL RESOURCECIPC: intellectual-property reference guide
Read further official context for trade mark procedures.
Open the resourceLET’S FIND YOUR NEXT STEP.
Ready to discuss
trade mark registration?
Share your requirements with Vatco.
Confirm the scope, documents and fees before proceeding.