In our increasingly networked and digital world, the acoustic identity of brands is becoming ever more important. From advertising, apps and smart devices to podcasts and voice assistants, sounds shape the brand experience and increase the recognizability of a brand.

The possibility of having a sound mark officially protected has existed in Germany since the Trademark Act came into force in 1995. Authorities in numerous countries around the world now offer protection for sound marks (e.g. USPTO (USA), EUIPO (EU), DPMA (Germany) and UKIPO (UK)).

For example, spoken or sung words, melodies, (lifelike) sounds or a combination of these elements are eligible for protection.

🌟 Sounds must be distinctive. Individual sounds are often difficult to protect. Even typical product sounds such as the hissing of a beverage can as an audio logo for a beverage manufacturer do not have these characteristics.

📁 Sound marks can be stored in most registers as musical notation or digitally (e.g. MP3). Some countries also require a sound description. Detailed specifications are provided by the respective trademark office.

Innovation in trademark protection - The first automated solution for sound trademarks

While automated similarity checks have long been standard for word and figurative marks, this has not yet been possible for sound marks. The notations and descriptions stored in registers do not allow for a direct sound comparison - without musical expertise, it is almost impossible to assess the similarity.

Our tool changes that: With our innovative analysis tool, we help brand experts to ensure the uniqueness and protection of sound brands. Our constantly growing database includes almost all internationally registered sound trademarks. In addition, there is a large number of unregistered sound logos of well-known brands. Our intelligent algorithm analyzes sound brands, detects similarities and enables us to provide you with comprehensive sound reports on the brands used worldwide.

The secure solution for brand managers

• Agencies: Make sure that your works are not similar to existing sound marks and avoid liability risks.
• Brand managers: Developing a sound brand is costly and time-consuming. Our tool helps you make the right decisions on acoustic positioning at an early stage, avoid similarities and proactively prevent trademark disputes.
• Trademark lawyers: We support you in checking sound trademarks for collision risks and monitoring them after registration. Protect the organization from trademark infringement and disputes.

Sound marks protect the uniqueness of melodies, jingles or sounds that are associated with a brand. By registering a sound mark, companies secure exclusive rights to their acoustic identity and can take legal action against imitations or unauthorized use. In this way, companies can protect their brand identity and gain a competitive advantage on the market.

Careful analysis and continuous monitoring help to preserve the uniqueness of the brand and identify potential conflicts with existing or new sound brands at an early stage.

For further information or individual inquiries, please do not hesitate to contact us:

📩 Rainer Hirt, Managing Director - rh@audity.de
📩 Janine Trappe, Head of Sound Mark Analytics - jt@audity.de

We look forward to exchanging ideas with you!