Word, figurative or combined mark? How to choose the right type

One of the first questions when you fill in the application is: what type of mark are you filing? The answer determines what exactly you protect – the name, the logo or their combination – and how easily you can stop an imitation in the future.

Word mark

A word mark consists of text only, without graphic elements: names, words, letters or numbers. The word itself is protected, without being tied to a particular lettering, colour or styling. Well-known examples are “Google” or “Microsoft”, protected as plain text.

Advantages: protection is broad, because it applies however you write the name – in the logo, on the invoice, on the website or on the packaging. If you change the logo one day, the word mark remains valid.

Caution: the name must itself be distinctive. A descriptive or common word does not become registrable just because you file it as a word mark.

Figurative mark

A figurative mark is a logo, symbol, drawing or graphic. Well-known examples: Apple's bitten apple, Nike's “swoosh” or Mercedes-Benz's three-pointed star.

For figurative elements there is a separate international classification – the Vienna Classification – which helps offices and representatives find similar logos, e.g. all logos with a star or with an eagle.

Advantages: it protects the visual identity, even when the logo is used without text. Caution: protection is tied to the appearance as filed; an entirely new logo requires a new application.

Combined mark

A combined mark brings together text and graphic elements: the name in a distinctive lettering, inside a shape or next to a symbol. It is the most common type among small businesses, because it matches the logo they use every day.

Advantages: with one application you protect the full appearance of the mark. Caution: what is protected is the combination exactly as you file it. If the graphic element is dominant, a competitor who uses the same name with a different logo can argue that the signs differ. That is why an important name is better protected as a word mark too.

Which one should you choose?

• If the name is your main asset, e.g. an invented name you will use for years, start with the word mark.
• If the logo is distinctive and you will also use it without text, protect it as a figurative mark too.
• If the budget allows only one application, choose the one that best reflects how customers recognise you – often the name.
• If the name contains descriptive words, such as “Pizza” or “Coffee”, the distinctive power comes from the other part or from the graphics; check that the distinctive part is truly available.
• If the logo will change soon, wait for the final version before filing it as a figurative mark, or start with the word mark, which does not depend on the graphics.

In any case, before you decide, check the name in the public search: the search compares names, so it quickly shows you whether the text part of your mark is available.

Other types of marks

Apart from names and logos, the new Albanian trademark law (2025) also allows signs such as colours, shapes, sounds or movements, while the application form also recognises position and pattern marks. These non-traditional marks are usually harder to register, because it must be shown that the sign distinguishes your goods and is not simply part of the product:

• Shape or three-dimensional mark – the shape of the product or of the packaging, such as the Coca-Cola bottle or the triangular shape of Toblerone chocolate.
• Colour mark – a specific colour, such as Cadbury's purple (Pantone 2685C) on chocolate packaging.
• Position mark – an element always placed in the same spot, such as the red sole of Christian Louboutin shoes or the three stripes of Adidas.
• Pattern mark – a repeating pattern, such as the Louis Vuitton monogram or the Burberry check.
• Sound and motion marks – a sound, such as Intel's short jingle, the sound of a Harley-Davidson engine or the sound at the start of Netflix content, or an animation.

How you file it on trademark.al

In step 2 of the form (“The mark”), write the name or text of the mark exactly as it will be registered and choose the type: word mark, figurative mark (logo or graphic), three-dimensional, shape mark, pattern mark, colour mark or position mark. The form shows you examples for each type, to make the choice easier.

For the types with an image, upload a PNG or JPG file of up to 5 MB – the image appears in the application exactly as you upload it. For a colour mark, upload a photo or image showing the exact colour and, where applicable, enter the colours claimed or their combination (e.g. Pantone codes). A combined mark – text with graphics – is chosen as “Figurative mark” and uploaded as a complete image, with the text and the graphic elements.

If the mark has a meaning in another language, also enter the translation. And if you have applied for the same mark in another country within the last 6 months, you can claim priority to keep that date.

Three mistakes to avoid

1. A poor-quality image. The logo appears in the application exactly as uploaded; use the original, clear file.
2. Thinking the word in the logo is protected on its own. In a combined mark it is the combination that is protected; if the name is important, consider a word mark too.
3. Major changes after filing. The “Modification of the Mark” service covers only non-substantial changes to the representation; an entirely new logo is protected with a new application.

For the steps of the form see Applying for a trademark (9 steps).