It may come as a surprise that a coat of arms — or other symbols of a local government — can be protected as a trade mark. In fact, the same principles of intellectual property protection apply to the public sector as to businesses: if a symbol forms an important part of an institution’s identity, it may be wise to register it as a trade mark. “If we left our symbols unprotected, we would risk their misuse on social media, products, or advertisements,” says Kristi Lehiste, Communication Specialist at Kiili municipality, explaining the reasons for registering the coat of arms of Kiili that was chosen as the trade mark of the month in October.
The trade mark belongs to Kiili municipality, and the protection covers printed materials, clothing, advertising, real estate, tourism, cultural, sports and entertainment services, as well as catering and accommodation services.
According to Lehiste, the decision to protect both the coat of arms and the municipal logo was made jointly and thoughtfully with the municipal leadership, with a clear goal in mind – these are the representative symbols of the municipality, and their use must be controlled.
“If we left our symbols unprotected, we would risk malicious, unauthorized, or improper use on social media, products, or in advertisements. For example, there are people on social media who misuse our symbols — modifying the coat of arms image according to their imagination,” Lehiste notes. She adds that intellectual property protection ensures that the use of the coat of arms and logo remains dignified and consistent with the municipality’s statutes. If necessary, the municipality now has a legal basis to intervene and protect its assets.
“Registering a trade mark is not merely a formality, but an essential part of maintaining and safeguarding the visual identity of the public sector,” Lehiste advises, encouraging all public institutions to follow the same path.