With technology advancing at such an incredible pace – and so many products on the market – coming up with new innovative ideas to outshine competition is a huge challenge.
Paris-based small and medium-sized enterprise (SME), Energysquare, has successfully cleared this hurdle, taking smart wireless charging solutions to completely new heights. And, they have used the Madrid System – WIPO’s international trademark system – to secure trademark protection in overseas markets. Timothée Le Quesne – one of the three young entrepreneurs who founded Energysqare in 2015 – tells us more.
Introducing “Power by Contact” – a charging solution with more than one difference
What makes Power by Contact different from other wireless charging solutions? First, Power by Contact uses contact-based, electrical conduction rather than induction-based technology. It is both energy-efficient and fast – devices start charging as soon as they are in direct contact with the surface – and uses zero electromagnetic waves.
It supports multiple voltages, enables you to charge multiple devices simultaneously on one, conductive tile-based surface area, and it is the first technology of its kind to let you wirelessly charge any make of laptop. An added bonus; if you need to charge even more devices, you can adapt the size of the charging mat!
What’s in a name?
Energysquare – already owner of a patent-based intellectual property (IP) portfolio – realized early on that patent protection was not going to be enough. Trademarks quickly became part of their business strategy.
Tip! The name you give a company or product can have significant influence on your future marketing success. Choose the wrong name and you may have difficulty registering for trademark protection in some countries, which in turn affects your chances of expanding into new markets.
The company in fact started out under the name “Energycloud”. However, when filing for national protection of the name, they found out that it was actually already a registered trademark.
Fortunately, – as they were still in the early phases of development – it was possible to change name with minimum financial and administrative impact. They came up with “Energysquare”, which was both available and meaningful, and would speak to anyone in any language.
By August 2018, they had a national (France) trademark registration for the name “Energysquare”.
Accessing new markets using the Madrid System
Energysquare were eager to expand into China, Japan and the United States of America (US), as well as other European markets.
As an SME with limited time and resources available, they turned to WIPO’s Madrid System, which would enable them – using their French national registration (“basic mark”) – to file one application (in French) to seek trademark protection in all their target markets, simultaneously.
By early October 2018, the name “Energysquare” was registered under the Madrid System.
For new start-ups that want to grow fast, the Madrid System is the best investment.
Timothée Le Quesne, Energysquare
“Energysquare” – international registration No. 1440088
Today, the name “Energysquare” is protected – International Registration No.1440088 – in all of their designated target markets, under classes 9 and 42 (computer hardware and software-related goods and services) of the Nice Classification (the international classification used to classify goods and services for the purposes of registering marks). The company itself has grown from a start-up to a fully-fledged SME, with 15 full-time staff members.
Summing up their experience of using the Madrid System, Timothée says:
It’s easy to use! We managed to file our own application without using a trademark professional. You can choose which countries you want to register in and easily select the relevant classes. It’s very intuitive.
"The US Patent and Trademark Office had a few issues with the goods and services we had selected. But, thanks to the flexibility of the Madrid System, we could make a few adjustments – deleting some sub-classes and editing others just for the US – and quickly overcome this.
We also had a few challenges when it came to securing protection in China. At first, it seemed that the name “Energysquare” was already registered in China but, after some investigation, it became obvious that it was in fact a case of trademark squatting. The fake trademark was cancelled, leaving the road open for us to proceed."
You can find out more about International Registration No. 1440088 in Madrid Monitor available under eMadrid.
Energysquare share tips on using the Madrid System
Would Energysquare recommend the Madrid System to other SMEs?
“Yes,” says Timothée. “…especially when your financial resources are limited and you have little or no legal counsel. For new start-ups that want to grow fast, the Madrid System is the best investment.”
His advice?
“Do your research early on! Make sure to check as part of your marketing and business strategy, that the name you want to protect is available. Changing name later on could have a huge impact on your business. And, make sure that the goods and services that you select when filing your application are pertinent – for now and the future!”
Use WIPO’s Global Brand Database to sieve through trademarks from multiple national and international databases. It contains more than 50 million records, including Madrid System international trademark registrations.
Use our Madrid Member Profiles database to find out more about country-specific requirements through to domestic laws, practices and procedures.
More about the Madrid System
The Madrid System is a convenient and cost-effective solution for registering trademarks in up to 128 countries by filing one application and paying one set of fees.
