When a similarity is harmless after all
Good monitoring doesn't report every chance similarity but also weighs the reasons that speak against confusion. This keeps false alarms off your back and makes real hits valuable.
Similarity is only half the story
Two signs can be similar on one level and still not be confusable – for example because their meaning clearly diverges, because they appear in completely unrelated industries or because a clear addition distinguishes them.
That's why we look at every possible collision in both directions: what speaks for, what speaks against confusion? Only this weighing produces a robust assessment.
The weighing
We weigh both sides
Put simply: each hit is examined not only for similarity but also for exonerating factors.
Raises the risk
- high sign similarity
- identical/close goods
- well-known, strong trademark
Lowers the risk
- clearly different meaning
- unrelated industry/class
- clearly separating additions
- weak, descriptive sign
Rather the right hits than all hits
A notification should mean something. We take exonerating factors into account so you can focus on the cases that really matter.
The exonerating factors in detail
Hits with meaning
Activate free basic protection. The weighted assessment across all factors is provided by Pro.
This article is for information and does not constitute legal advice.