A trademark is a distinctive symbol which is used to differentiate a company’s products and services from other competing entities. By achieving the status of a trademark owner, an individual will be able to prevent others from utilizing a similar sign for similar services or product offerings. We advise that a clearance search should be conducted first in order to ascertain that there are no conflicting signs or ones which may cause a problem if a product or services are launched in Switzerland. A registered trademark generally last for a period of 10 years and can be renewed before the expiry date.