How Do I Register a Trademark?
Your brand has an actual value in the market—shouldn’t you protect it just as fiercely as your other assets?
Protecting your intellectual property may sound like a vague task to take on, so let’s start with a specific step in the right direction: Having the proper trademarks registered with the federal government can save you a great deal of problems and hassle.
Here, we’ll take a look at the basics of how to make that happen.
What is a trademark?
The U.S. Patent and Trademark office, or the USPTO, defines a trademark as a word, phrase, and/or design that identifies and distinguishes the source of the goods or property from those of others.
Your own trademarks might include the name of your business, your company’s logo, product names, special branded services, and everything else that makes your company unique.
Identifying and defining all of your marks can be a lot to consider, which is why it’s helpful to have an experienced trademark attorney in your corner during the process.
How does the process work?
The first thing our team will do is look for possible vulnerabilities in your current trademark strategy. Our goal is to help you to determine what’s important and what isn’t for trademarking.
If you engage us for services, we’ll begin conducting clearance searches to see if any of the trademarks you want are already being used. There’s always a possibility that someone else is already using your initial ideas. Don’t let this discourage you, but be ready to consider other ideas if need be.
Maybe your trademark needs are a little more involved—maybe you believe that you have the right to a mark that’s being infringed upon by another brand. Issues like this require a little more focus and strategy.
Step One: Registration. Step Two: Enforcement.
Securing ownership of your trademark is a fantastic milestone, but it’s only the beginning.
To fully protect your brand, it’s crucial to monitor the market for similar marks that may potentially be infringing on yours—and to take legal action as necessary. This is where our comprehensive knowledge of the trademark lifecycle comes in handy, not to mention our expertise in IP litigation.
Trademark law is complex. It’s there to protect brands like yours from running into problems in the course of growing your business and your brand. The same way auto and health insurance act as precautions against problematic incidents, consulting a trademark lawyer early on can save you time, energy, and money ahead of any competitor or other entity that may infringe upon your trademark.
Whatever stage your brand is in when it comes to the trademark process, the Vivid team can jump in to provide counsel and take action.
If you have questions about the status of your intellectual property, drop us a line below, or schedule an intake call with our Client Specialist here.
