A lot of people look to open their own business, but this poses many questions, such as those regarding trademarks. If you intend to establish a trademark, it is crucial that the correct steps are taken to ensure its validity and protection. To do that, the help of a trademark attorney indispensable.
Defining a Trademark
A trademark is any element, such as a name or logo, that is legally associated with a business or its product/s and service/s. Trademarks are critical in identifying a business and brand. Trademarks are used by consumers when recognizing one product or service from the rest.
What to Trademark
Your trademark can be the name of your company or of any product or service you offer. You can use all words (this is calleda “word mark”) or you can also use a graphic design, like a logo or symbol. In any case, it should delivery your message to your market. You can design your own trademark, but make sure it can be protected and will infringe other trademarks. Otherwise, you could get in some expensive trouble with the law.
Checking a Trademark
When choosing a business name, you have to pick something that attracts attention and is memorable. Most importantly, it should be totally unique from other trademarks, especially if your business name will also be your trademark. Again, if you infringe upon other trademarks, you could pay a high price for it. To eliminate this possibility, do some research. It requires a little effort, but it can save you major headaches later on.
Check out the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) database where you can scan for trademarks, registered and pending alike. But this task is not always as simple as it sounds. In fact, it takes a special skill and a solid understanding of trademark laws. Hence, it is best to bring in a trademark attorney before running a trademark search.
Trademark Registration with a Trademark Lawyer
Registering a trademark can become overwhelming when you don’t have the necessary legal knowledge and are doing the task alone. However, with a trademark specialist lawyer, you will have expert help and advice on hand. They can assist you with an in-depth trademark search, ensuring that there will be zero duplicates. They can prepare and file whatever documents are needed too, and most certainly, they can do it properly. Lastly, as soon as you get your trademark, or even earlier, this attorney can offer you a strategy that will ensure its protection.