A recent ownership battle between popular media company, Radio Africa, and owners of a well-known Facebook page, Kilimani Mum, has raised a lot of question on the importance of trademarking products.

Kilimani Mums is on the verge of losing rights to its Facebook page and Youtube channel which both command a huge following, after Radio Africa reported that the name – Kilimani Mum – was stolen from them.

Radio Africa presented the legal documents to Facebook and Youtube proving that they were the real holders of the name and that owners of Kilimani Mums were infringing on their legal rights.

Following this legal battle Plive.co.ke compiled the importance of trademarking businesses.

1. Helps you stand out

Trademarking which simply means having a symbol, colour, word, or words legally registered or established to represent a company or product helps to distinguish a company/business from the gazillion others in existence.

With a trademark, your customers will be able to identify you easily because the brand is now recognised (think about how easily you can spot Safaricom from a mile away).

2. Easy Communication

Having a trademark, a company is able to communicate to its target customers effectively.

Using a slogan, tagline or logo, a business can convey intellectual and emotional attributes and messages it upholds.

3. Gives you an advantage on the internet and social media

In this internet age, trademark gives companies a cutting edge on search engines such as Google.

Customers will search your brand when they want to locate you. The more the searches, the higher your Company’s website would rank due to the huge traffic.

4. Legal Protection

Trademarks protects you legally as no other person/business is allowed to use your logo, colours, tag lines, slogans etc.