What you need to know before you try to sell a trademark

From time to time, I receive inquiries from clients who want to sell their trademarks. A common case is that they have registered a trademark before, but never had a chance to use it, so they want to monetize it by selling or licensing it. I understand that they want to sell your trademark because you are not using it.

However, it is important to note that anyone can cancel the registration of a trademark that has not been in use for a certain period of time. Even if you go to offer to sell your trademark, if the other party knows that the trademark is not in use, they will only accept a lower price than you expect. This is because they can even cancel your trademark registration and register the same trademark themselves.

On the other hand, it is costly and time-consuming to cancel a trademark registration and newly register the trademark. Therefore, there are also advantages for them in purchasing your registered trademark.

Anyway, a trademark that is not being in use is not contributing to your business, but only costing you money. So, just like any other asset, it is advisable to regularly check the usage of your trademarks.