Introduction
Trademarks are registered in Israel by the Patents, Designs and
Trademarks Authority (“The Patents and Trademarks
Authority”), an independent agency operating under the
Ministry of Justice, which replaced the former Patents, Designs and
Trademarks Department of the Ministry.
Eligibility for Registration
To be eligible for registration as a trademark, a mark must have
a distinctive character, such that it can serve to distinguish the
goods or services of the applicant from the goods or services of
other businesses. Both word marks and graphic marks (devices) may
be registered. Three dimensional marks may be registered if the
shape is not merely functional and serves to indicate the source of
the mark. However the threshold of proof is quite high. Generic
marks are inelligible for registration. Descriptive marks require
proof of secondary meaning. Certain marks, such as marks impying a
connection to the state and immoral marks are not allowed.
