Not only does trademark registration result in its owner's rights to oppose the application of any identical or closely similar trademark (maintaining distinctiveness and uniqueness), but it also gives them legal rights to protect the brand against copycats or similar brands operating on the market.
The legal proceedings associated with brand infringement can often be lengthy and complex, yet the ownership of a registered trademark simplifies the process, shifting the weights into the trademark owner's favour.
Trademark registration also acts as a deterrent to discourage copycats from emerging. Moreover, it provides the trademark owner with the right to issue a cease and desist letter founded in legal arguments to stop any party from infringing its rights and the right to claim potential damages.
A more thorough discussion of the legal protection for a brand enabled by trademark registration alongside some interesting statistics about the prevalence of brand infringement on the market can be found in our Trademark Academy.