Easy Trademark Registration
In Africa, the US and Worldwide.
BrandLaw | The Art of Law
Secure your intellectual property and increase the value of your brand, business and creations with certified expert attorneys.
IP Attorneys and brand consultants on your team.
Turn ideas into value. Get trademarks, copyright, designs, patents, trade secrets, brand consulting and other business expertise.
In Cape Town, Barcelona, New York.
“90% of a business’ value is intellectual property”
– Forbes
“80% of common words are already trademarked”
– Harvard Law Review
Stephan Viollier
Intellectual Property, trade mark and commercial attorney
Stephan is the founder of BrandLaw, a SAIIPL-certified trademark practitioner, and an attorney admitted in South Africa and New York (United States).
He has been serving clients ranging from startups to multinationals globally for a decade. his background in software and AI development offers unique insights into protecting and enhancing brands in the digital age.
Stephanie Zietsman
Intellectual Property and trade mark lawyer
Stephanie is a SAIIPL-certified trade mark practitioner admitted in South Africa. Her background in advertising offers her unique insights into building and protecting brands.
She has worked at three notable South African intellectual property law firms and is finalising her LLM in Intellectual Property Law at Stellenbosch Univeristy. Her diverse experience ensures she provides her clients with comprehensive, strategic, and tailored advice.
1000+
Trademarks registered
100%
Success rate
with search-confirmed availability
#1
Top tier law
SAIIPL certified
trade mark experts
R2990
Flat-rate fees.
No hourly costs.
No surprises.
Get value, not timesheets.
Expert help for your brand, business and IP.
Register a trademark
Get exclusive rights to a name, symbol or slogan that distinguishes your business.
Search for trademarks
See if the name or slogan you want to register is available.
Monitor trademarks
Protect your brand by being alerted of potential infringements.
Stop infringers
Take action against others using your brand, company name or creative works without permission.
Start a company
Get a company registered in South Africa.
Draft a contract
Define your relationships with investors, shareholders, suppliers, clients and employees,
Register trademarks in Africa, the US, EU and worldwide.
Consider the costs to register one trademark in one (1) class.
*The GDP market value figures are in Billions of US Dollars
| GDP* | AREA | ZAR | USD |
|---|---|---|---|
| 419 | South Africa | 2990 | 200 |
| 23’320 | United States | 15’000 | 800 |
| 3’131 | United Kingdom | 18’000 | 950 |
| 14’500 | European Union (27 European states) | 25’000 | 1400 |
| 310 | OAPI (17 African states) Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Ivory Coast, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal and Togo | 22’000 | 1200 |
| 210 | ARIPO (13 African states) Botswana, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Sao Tome & Principe and Zimbabwe *Cape Verde, Gambia, Lesotho, eSwatini, Tanzania and Uganda have acceded but not yet fully implemented ARIPO in local laws The costs provides are if all countries are designated. Designating less countries will reduce costs. | 60’000 | 3200 |
| 574 | Nigeria | 27’000 | 1450 |
| 124 | Angola | 21’000 | 1100 |
| 110 | Kenya | 22’000 | 1150 |
| 76 | Tanzania | 15’000 | 700 |
| 22 | Zambia | 20’000 | 1100 |
| 19 | Botswana | 18’000 | 1000 |
| 13 | Namibia | 12’000 | 650 |
| 11 | Mauritius | 18’000 | 900 |
*Contact us for costs in other countries.
Our success rate speaks for itself.
Case examples:
Thousands of Trademarks registered and disputes won.
Technology & Web
Trademark & Copyright Infringement
Removed 200,000 mobile phones infringing the premier global messaging name, logo and application software from Africa-wide outlets.
Confectionery
Trademark Infringement
Stopped infringement of famous Easter Swiss-chocolate packaging and removed two competing products from supermarkets nationwide after arranging nationwide consumer survey to prove distinctiveness.
Music & Art Festivals
Trademark Prosecution & Infringement
Registered and prevented infringements of a world famous desert festival brand in advertisements by unassociated traders.
Soft Drinks
Trademark Opposition
Opposed the trademark registration of and coerced a co-existence arrangement with a premier multinational soft drink conglomerate.
Music Instruments
Trademark Registration
Obtained shape trademark registration for the distinctive guitar shape of a famous American guitar brand.
Film & Entertainment
Commercial Agreements
Favourably negotiated an agreement to sound score an animated series in the world’s most beloved multimedia franchise.
Health & Wellness
Trademark Registration & Commercial Agreements
Registered and drafted licensing agreements relating to South Africa’s premier gym franchise.
Beverages
Trademark Opposition
Diffused an EU Trademark opposition by a highly litigious British conglomerate, airline, telecom and health brand and obtained EUTM registration.
Fashion
Counterfeit Goods
Enforced the release of sneakers seized by customs due to a complaint by a litigious local licensee of a world famous Fashion brand.
Strengthen your brand with strategic and creative support.
Our branding experts help you develop strong and engaging brands that build brand equity and increase the value of your company.
FREE Consultation
Unsure about what it takes to build a strong brand? Talk to an expert and get clarity on the branding process.
Strategy & Positioning
Start by clearly defining your brand and establishing a strategy to gain a differentiated position in the market.
Identity Design
Boost the appeal of your brand with an engaging visual identity that will make you stand out in a busy market.
All services
Copyright opinions
Copyright assignment agreements
Copyright registration (in the USA)
Registered Designs
Patents
Start a company
Company name disputes
Commercial agreements
Non disclosure Agreements
Exchange control and tax advice
Intellectual property valuations
Intellectual property commercialisation
What do you want to protect?
Trademark ®
A name, logo, slogan or other mark that consumers recognise your product or service by.
Name
NIKE
Logo
Slogan
JUST DO IT.
Colour
Shape
Pattern
Store Layout
Copyright ©
Stop others from using your original content without your consent – or get paid if they do.
Photos
Art
Movies
Code
Text
Music
Data
& More
Design
Protect the visual appearance of a new product or item – or the layout of your app or website.
Patent
Protect your new invention or idea.
Know-How
Protect your intangible assets, edge, software, products, confidential information, and other value.
Frequent questions
What are the benefits of registering your trademark?
When you register your trademark, you get strong nationwide protection, and to sue and get paid from anyone who copies it. Google, Amazon Marketplace, Instagram, Facebook and other platforms will respond to your requests to remove copycats. Your company becomes more valuable.
It becomes an asset on your balance sheet, increases its value, your control over the mark and potential profits if you ever wish to sell or license the mark or attract investment into your business.
Where should I register my Trademark?
Register where your market is, in other words where your customers are. Trademarks are jurisdiction specific so, to protect your brand, you should register it wherever you have a customer base that you want to protect.
Registering your trademark can also provide some international benefit on global platforms like Amazon, App Store, Google Play, Instagram and Facebook. These platforms generally require proof of trademark registration in at least one jurisdiction to act against others copying your brand – however, registrations in the United States and the European Union tend to be preferred.
What’s the difference between the ™ symbol and the ® symbol?
The ™ symbol can be used on a trademark by anyone at anytime. It meant that the person intends to use it as a trademark – but it doesn’t actually give any rights. The ® symbol means your mark is registered with the Trade Marks Office of that country, giving you all the legal protections and powers that come with it. Be careful, using the ® symbol or the word ‘Registered’ in relation to an unregistered trademark can be a criminal offence.
What’s the difference between copyright and a trademark?
Copyright protects original creative works, including books, movies, songs, paintings, photos, web content and choreography. Trademarks protect business and product names, slogans and logos to help customers tell brands apart.
What’s the difference between a patent and a registered design?
A patent protects how an invention works or an idea. A registered design protects how a product looks. Some inventions may qualify for design and utility patent protection, if both the design and the function are unique, and the design doesn’t affect the function.
Recent articles
Why use BrandLaw?
Expert quality legal and brand services.
100% acceptance rate with availability search.
Quick turnaround time.
Attractive, flat rate fees.
Great customer service.
10 year trade mark management – or forever if you keep renewing it.
What our clients say
Cité Privée Genève
John Cooney, Co Chairman
“An IP law firm that thinks on our wavelength and is in sync with the requirements of our brands. With multinational experience and capability we are able to have discussions and do work with them that many other boutique firms are incapable of.”
Mathys & Squire LLP
Robin Richardson, Trademark Associate
“I have used Stephan on several occasions to assist with the prosecution of clients’ applications in the USA. The USA is a complex and often very costly jurisdiction and he has provided sound and commercially-minded advice on an extremely cost effective basis. I can highly recommend them.”
Markus Wormstorm
Producer, Honeymoon Studios
“Thorough and fast. I’ve seen Stephan negotiate extremely well with some of the largest film production companies in the world. His attention to detail, easy to follow summaries and bullet point breakdowns gives him an edge above his competitors. I’ll vouch for him any day!”
ASSLA Drawing Room
Mikhail Jordaan, MD
“Brandlaw have proven themselves to be amazing partners and superb lawyers. So when we need reliable lawyers we go to them.”
Butan Wear
Julian Kubel, CEO
“We’ve had great experiences working with Brandlaw They assisted our company with registering our trademarks and gave us professional support and guidance through three major infringement matters. I can highly recommend Brandlaw’s services”
The Travel Manuel
Lauren Manuel
“Stephan’s advice in my trademark application and copyright infringement case has been instrumental in regaining years of my work and digital assets. With his assistance I had the power to reclaim my life’s work so far.”
