6 Trademarks You Should Know

In e-commerce today, the misuse of trademarks is a challenge and it happens frequently. 

It cuts across manufacturing product copies, duplicated labels, and the use of phrases or images associated with these trademarks to drive purchase.

Trademarks help differentiate a product’s manufacturer. It could be represented with logos, symbols, or phrases. It declares a product’s ownership and its uniqueness. After all, customers seek this exclusivity.

Simply put, a trademark is an identifier.

It is relevant to state that when customers see a trademark, they believe in the genuinity of the product.

Imagine making a purchase and discovering it is a counterfeit product? 

It is bad.

So, if you are wondering why your products were flagged or delisted, there is a tendency that you listed products with trademarks that are not from the product manufacturers – it could be the product name, image, or description.

And if you have not, this will help you steer clear of trademark misuse.

Here are some trademarks you should not misuse;

• “Birkenstock” is a  premium brand with a registered trademark and should not be included in the product name or description of all sandals with wooden soles, except they are created by Birkenstock.

• “Crocs” is a premium brand with a registered trademark and should not be mentioned in the product name or description of rubber shoes (clogs) that are not manufactured by Crocs.

• “Airpods” is a registered trademark of Apple and should not be included in the product name or description of any wireless headsets or earphones that are not manufactured by Apple.

• “Air” is a registered footwear trademark of Nike and should not be printed on or included in the product name or description of any footwear that is not manufactured by Nike.

• “Ziploc” is a premium brand registered trademark owned by S. C. Johnson & Son, Inc. Including “Ziploc” or “Ziplock” in the product name or description of all reusable resealable food storage bags that are not manufactured by S. C. Johnson & Son, Inc. constitutes a trademark infringement.

• “Chromecast” is a media streaming technology/device developed and manufactured by Google. Advertising 3rd party Wi-Fi streaming devices that are not manufactured by Google as “Chromecast” constitutes an IP infringement.

To avoid a financial penalty or product delist, these trademarks should not be used except the products are from the manufacturer and you are allowed to sell these products.

If you are not clear about the usage of these trademarks, kindly reach out.

Remember that at Jumia, you matter and we aim to help you achieve the sales your business needs to grow.