The Importance of Trademark Registration and NIB for MSMEs
A trademark is not merely a name or visual representation, but an intellectual property asset with economic value that serves as a distinguishing identity and the spearhead of business competitiveness in the market. Therefore, business actors must realise the importance of registering trademarks as early as possible by adhering to the first-to-file principle (whoever registers first receives protection).
“This preventive step is essential to prevent potential legal disputes, plagiarism, or brand hijacking by irresponsible parties in the future,” said Rianda Dirkareshza, head of community service at the Faculty of Law, Universitas Pembangunan Nasional Veteran Jakarta (UPNVJ). He also explained the basic stages of trademark registration through the Directorate General of Intellectual Property (DJKI) so that MSMEs can fully hold exclusive rights over the businesses they have built.
Regarding the risks and legal consequences if a registered trademark is forgotten or not renewed, Rianda stressed that trademark protection does not last a lifetime, but must be renewed every 10 years. If ignored and not renewed, the trademark will expire and its status will fall into the public domain.
He emphasised that this would be very regrettable, as anyone could freely use a trademark that MSME actors had worked hard to build.
Regarding the use of AI-generated logos, Rianda advised business actors to avoid submitting such logos. To date, there is no definitive regulation governing the legitimacy or validity of ownership of AI-generated logos.
AI systems essentially work by processing, taking, and combining image data from the internet, which already has its own owners and copyrights. Therefore, registering an AI-generated logo is highly prone to triggering disputes and carries a very high risk of copyright infringement in the future.
Mimin Mintarsih, a lecturer from the Faculty of Law at Universitas Islam Jakarta, stressed that the Business Identification Number (NIB) is not merely an administrative formality, but a single legal identity that functions like an ID card for a business entity. By obtaining an NIB, MSME actors not only gain legal protection from potential enforcement actions, but also open much wider access to move up a level, such as easier access to capital from banks, processing halal certification, and the opportunity to participate in various government development programmes.
This was conveyed at the Sigap Merek event on Friday, 21 August 2026. The programme aims to accelerate the ownership of business legality and trademark certificates for micro business actors assisted by the PKK Driving Team and Karang Taruna of Depok City.