INTELLECTUAL PROPERT Y PROPERTY
IP Rights in Africa
Can you Protect the Layout of Stores and Service Outlets?
A store layout refers to the design of a store’s space and the placement of items within it. If a brand or business wishes to be successful and earn revenue in the long run, it must implement the correct store layout. Now, the question is, “Can you protect the layout of stores and service outlets?” In a nutshell, the answer to this question is ‘Yes.’ Most of the customers believe that the layout of a retail store is equally as important as the brand name of the business. Therefore, it indeed makes sense to regard the layout of a store as a valuable IP worthy of protection. In today’s highly competitive environment with ever-increasing innovative methods of brandimage building, there has been a rapid increase in the registration and usage of Non-conventional Trademarks. Like color, motion, sound, scent marks, amongst many others, proprietors are now looking forward to obtaining Trademark Protection for the Layouts of their Stores and Service Outlets. Without any second thoughts, the original look of a store’s interiors can be a terrific selling point for a brand and, in turn, prove to be convenient for the customers to recognize the brand without even looking at its name. Let us have a better understanding of the concept by taking the example of the widely-known multinational technology company, Apple Inc.