A trademark is a sign/graphic representation serving to distinguish goods or services of a natural or legal person from those of others.
The trademark is an essential element of the strategy of firms: it makes the distinction between a company’s products and services and those of competitors.
The following can registered as trademarks: words, including personal names, designs, letters, numerals, figurative elements, three-dimensional shapes and forms as the product or the packaging or color combinations as well as any combination of such signs.
Any individual or company can register a mark. The rights of the trademark holder are confirmed by the certificate of registration.
A trademark registration gives the holder an exclusive right to use the trademark for products and/or services for which registration was made, for a term of 10 years from the date of the deposit and the right to prohibit third parties to use its trademark or fraudulent imitation.
On request, the registration of a trademark can be renewed at the end of each term of protection of 10 years.
For the registration of a trademark it is required to file an application for registration with OSIM on a form, in Romanian, which contains:

a) for a Romanian applicant: the name and address of the applicant, including telephone and fax;
b) for foreign applicants: country, the name of country of residence, name of the country where the activity takes place;
c) for an applicant legal entity: the respective country which legislation served as a framework for establishing the legal person;

d) name and address;     e) statement to invoke the right of priority, indicating the state and the first deposit, if the priority is claimed from an earlier application;
f) statement to invoke the priority of the exhibition, indicating the location and name of the exhibition and the dates of the products or services in that exhibition;

g) indication of color or colors claimed to indicate the main parts of the brand;
h) statement on the three-dimensional shape of the brand;
i) the trademark characters (letters or figures) other than those used in Romania;
j) a translation of the words constituting the trademark if they are not in Romanian;
k) identifying the goods or services for which trademark registration is required, grouped according to "Classification of Nice";
l) signature of the applicant or his representative, as applicable.

The application shall be accompanied by graphic or photographic reproduction of the mark in sizes up to 6 x 6 cm, as follows:
a) 5 reproductions of the trademark in black and white when color is not claimed as a distinctive element;
b) 5 reproductions of the trademark in black and white and 5 color reproductions of the trademark when claiming at least one color as a distinctive feature.

Duration of protection is 10 years mark, trade mark may be renewed at the end of each period of 10 years, at the request of the proprietor, the tax provided by law.

OSIM trademarks are protected only in Romania.