Imagine a footballer setting up his own company to sell his own range of clothes. What type of intellectual property can he use to show that the clothes are made by his company? 


Trademarks. 


Patents. 


Copyright. 


Geographical indications. 


Registered designs. 

1 answer

The footballer can primarily use trademarks to show that the clothes are made by his company. A trademark can be a brand name, logo, slogan, or any distinctive sign that identifies and distinguishes the goods or services of one entity from those of others. By registering a trademark, the footballer can prevent others from using it and establish his brand identity in the clothing market.

While other forms of intellectual property can apply in certain contexts:

  • Patents are used to protect inventions and are less relevant to clothing unless there is a unique innovation involved.
  • Copyright protects original works of authorship like designs or artwork but doesn't directly indicate the source of goods like a trademark does.
  • Geographical indications refer to products originating from a specific place, often related to quality or reputation, but may not be applicable to individual clothing brands.
  • Registered designs protect the aesthetic design of items, which can be useful, but they don't serve the primary purpose of brand identification like trademarks do.

Thus, the best choice for establishing that the clothes are made by his company is trademarks.