Trademark Office grants collective and certification marks to protect local artisans

The following collective and certification trademarks have been granted in order to protect and guarantee the quality of artisan and handmade products:

• ASOTEJEDORES, ASOCIACIÓN DE TEJEDORES NOBSANOS (Class 25 of the Nice Classification);
• ARTESANIA CUBAY (Class 21);
• DAMAGUA Y CABECINEGRO (Class 24);
• COOPALOMEKO (Class 20);
• TEJEDURÍA EN ESPARTO CERINZA (Class 20);
• RUTA ARTESANAL DEL CARNAVAL (Class 20); and
• TAMO DE PASTO (Class 20).

Collective trademarks are signs that distinguish the origin or any other common element characterising the products or services of different companies, and that are used under the trademark owner’s control. Certification trademarks are applied to products or services whose quality and/or other characteristics have been certified by the trademark owner.   

The Trademark Office verified that all the abovementioned certification and collective trademarks were sufficiently distinctive. The corresponding resolutions issued by the office include:

• the bylaws and members of the associations (for the collective trademarks only); and
• the rules for use of the trademarks (for the certification and collective trademarks).

Thanks to this procedure, the registration of collective and certification trademarks has become a valuable tool that guarantees the quality of Colombian handcraft. In addition, collective and certification trademarks provide artisans with the legal instruments necessary to protect their products from imitations and to prevent third parties from taking unfair advantage of their products' reputation.

Margarita Castellanos, Castellanos & Co, Bogota