Core Insights - Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) face competitive pressure to expand internationally, with risks such as trademark squatting and infringement hindering their efforts [1] - Effective international trademark strategy is essential for SMEs to navigate these challenges and achieve cost-efficient global expansion [1] Group 1: Market Prioritization - SMEs should prioritize "core markets" to avoid trademark squatting, focusing on regions with existing orders or clear expansion plans [3] - For example, a home goods company with 30% of orders from Europe and the US should prioritize trademark registration in those areas [3] - Each market has different trademark classifications and rules, necessitating targeted category selection [3] Group 2: Cost-Effective Strategies - SMEs can adopt a "foundational first, then expand" strategy to balance protection and financial investment [4] - The first step is to register core categories directly related to the main products to secure basic rights [5] - For instance, a cosmetics company should first register Class 3 (cosmetics) as a foundational step [5] Group 3: Defensive Registration - Companies with established brands should consider registering similar trademarks or related categories to prevent others from exploiting their brand [8] - For example, a brand like "Little Daisy" could register variations like "Daisy Little" to protect against similar trademarks [9] Group 4: Avoiding Pitfalls - Attention to detail is crucial in international trademark registration to avoid wasting initial investments [10] - Trademark names should be localized to avoid negative connotations in different cultures [11] - For instance, a snack brand faced delays due to a name that had an unfortunate meaning in certain markets [12] Group 5: Registration Process Management - The trademark registration process can take 1-2 years in some regions, requiring careful planning [13] - Companies should initiate registration at least 18 months before entering a peak season market to ensure compliance [15] - Regular tracking of registration progress is essential to respond to examination opinions promptly [16] Group 6: Ongoing Maintenance - After successful registration, companies must adhere to local renewal rules to avoid trademark expiration [17] - A case study highlighted an electronics company that lost its trademark due to failure to renew, costing five times the original registration fee to reclaim [18] - Establishing a trademark management system to track renewal dates and evidence of use is recommended [19]