Are You Ready for Trademark Registration?
A company can not afford to let consumers forget who they are. Having a trademark helps to create brand recognition in the mind of a customer as soon as they see your company logo or mark. Trademarking is a critical part of business growth and expansion, especially at a certain time and stage.
Trademarks are visual marks – graphics, symbols, logos, phrases – that are used to identify your business’ brand and products.
Trademarks can be created naturally over time as customers recognize the value of your product. Crafting a trademark by design — which involves getting a registered trademark on top of your desired mark — can take months, and even years.
If your brand gets so much press coverage that a competitor copies it without your permission, you’ll have no recourse in court unless you register the trademarks first. Federal trademark laws help you protect your brand’s name and likeness.
Successfully registering your intellectual property is vital. Whether or not to take this step is up to you. However, there are many benefits in doing so. The federal registration process is almost completely automated, and yet you must not ignore the need to prepare for it. To ensure your trademark is unique, and you can benefit from the trademark registration, we recommend contacting a Houston trademark lawyer. Doing so can save you major time and effort, since it will save the lengthy process of verifying your IP protection.
Examples of Trademarks
You can register any of the following as a federal trademark:
- Business name
- Slogan
- Product name
- Product line or service catchphrase
- Name of a unique, proprietary process or system
- A logo
- Another visual design unique to your branding.
A unique name is one of the most important weapons that successful businesses use to make themselves the first choice to their customers.
Registering the name of the product or service will distinguish your business from competitors. However, if you register a name that sounds similar to that of a competing company, it might be viewed as infringement, even when you’re not legally infringing their rights. This could potentially divert revenue away from your business.
How to Prevent Others from Stealing Your Ideas
You’ll want to protect yourself against others infringing on your trademarks. Early intervention is key, so you need to be on the lookout day-to-day for trademark infringement. Even when you see the slightest indication of someone else using your trademark, you want to put yourself on alert. That’s the perfect time to contact a trademark lawyer, and if necessary, seek legal action.
More Ways to Profit from Your Trademarks
If you give other businesses and people permission to use your trademarks, it could be another way to make a lot of money. The best way to do so is through a trademark licensing agreement. This way, when an entity has your permission to use a trademark, they pay you a fee to do so.
But it will be more than just another source of revenue — it’s how you make your profits.
Trademark licensing is like a two-sided wand that can both attract and repel, depending on how the licensee uses your logos or trademarks. They need to have a similar understanding of the market to what you have. This way, not only can they monetize your trademarks for themselves, but they can also do so in a way that makes your customers happy.
The exposure of your intellectual property to someone else’s customers can be a further win-win. It builds awareness for you, making their customers also your customers, and growing your business even further.
Why are trademarks rejected?
Trademark law typically focuses on likelihood of confusion. As a result, trademark examiners usually reject applications for trademarks that are “like” an existing registered mark, or that have a high likelihood of being confused with someone else’s product or service.
Don’t risk a rejected trademark or an allegation of trademark infringement. Early preparation is vital to making the most of registration.
For advice on effectively and profitably building your intellectual property portfolio, contact our recommended trademark lawyer today.