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Trademarks
Why trademarks should go first when you expand
Trademarks are the asset to file earliest — a step too late and your core brand name may be gone.
The most reactive moment in going global is discovering your core mark already registered by someone else in a target market. Filing only when the product is about to launch is often too late.
Trademarks are territorial and first-to-file: registration in China does not protect you in the US, EU, or Southeast Asia. Each market needs its own filing.
The pragmatic approach is to search and file in target markets one to two years before formal entry, turning the brand name into an assertable right.