Before you register a trademark, a trademark search is “due diligence” to ensure that the trademark element (name, logo, etc.) you want to claim isn’t going to conflict with an existing trademark. Therefore, it is crucial in the early stages of the minimum 7.5 month process to spot any potential conflicts.

Your business can avoid being guilty of trademark infringement and avoid the liabilities. For example, businesses that infringe on a registered trademark in Australia can be held responsible for damages to (in the government’s and court’s eyes) the exclusive owner of the mark.

Furthermore, even if you aren’t legally held responsible, a name or mark too close to another’s trademark will work against your business in the long run by confusing your customers—that includes losing sales.

Finally, if you have your sights on the eventual expansion of your business, one of the vital factors you want to keep an eye on is the strength of your trademark.  A trademark, by definition, is a distinguishing mark of your business. Therefore, you want to make sure a hundred other companies do not use confusingly similar marks. In the long-run, your trademark would have no strength and value—just another face in the crowd.