On this page, you will find explanations of the terms used in the list of protected public signs. They are listed in alphabetic order.

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

Categories

The ‘Category’ filter only applies to international signs (Type: WIPO signs).

• Abbreviation: abbreviations, also known as acronyms in technical jargon, e.g. UNO.
• Emblem: logo of an organisation, often combined with verbal elements.
• Flag: generally the rectangular flag of a state. Please note – ‘Flag’ under the ‘Category’ filter corresponds to the national subcategory ‘Flags’.
• Name: names of organisations written in full, e.g. WORLD INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ORGANIZATION.
• Official hallmark: state-regulated signs which are characterised by an official hallmark, for example, precious metal content.
• State emblem: signs, not flags or armorial bearings, which publicly designate a state, for example, seals and stamps.
• Armorial bearing: a shield-shaped representation of a (national) coat of arms. Please note – ‘Armorial bearing’ under the ‘Category’ filter corresponds to the national subcategory ‘Coats of arms’.

States

The state which has registered the sign for protection. The number of signs from this state is shown in brackets.

Subcategory type of sign

The signs of the cantonal public bodies (Art. 5 CAPA) can be divided into three subcategories:

• Coats of arms: the shield-shaped coats of arms of communes, cantons and other districts
• Flags: the flags of these areas in rectangular or square form
• Other emblems: other signs protected by cantonal and/or communal laws

Types

• Protected signs: national emblems, protection based on the Coat of Arms Protection Act (CAPA) and Coat of Arms Protection Ordinance (CAPO), for example cantonal and communal coats of arms
• WIPO signs: names, abbreviations and representations of organisations, as well as various emblems and signs from member states

Types of sign

The various types of sign are defined in the corresponding articles of the law (CAPA and CAPO).

• Accreditation mark (Art. 4 let. d CAPO)
• Hallmark (Art. 4 let. c CAPO)
• Cantonal public body (Art. 5 CAPA)
• Control sign (Art. 4 let. a CAPO)
• Swiss public sign (Art. 1-3 CAPA)

Vienna classification

The Vienna Classification was established in 1973 by the Vienna Agreement and is an international system for the classification of figurative elements of marks. You can find more information here: WIPO: Vienna Classification.

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