By: Myracle Stevenson
What is a Trademark?
Trademarks are protections. These protections are available for certain specific names, symbols, devices or words that are used with or as a complement with goods or services. It is an association with a good or service. If this trademark is for a service then it is known to be a service mark. Commonly these trademarks are used and referred to as goods and services. The companies use trademarks so that they can differentiate and distinguish their products or services from those offered in the industries. These trademarks make it easy for companies and industries to analyze their product or service.
When should you Trademark?
TRADEMARK YOUR BUSINESS
Your business is the most important livelihood for you. You should make sure that you do everything to protect your company by applying for a trademark. You can either go for a full trademark or intent-to-use as soon as you plan on to proceed on with your company. The trademark ensures that you do not put your business in any kind of risk, or it protects your business from those massive risks. This is yet the most effective way to protect your brand and company name. You should trademark in the initial stages only so that you register the existence of your company in the states and declare that there is no other company taking over you.
Few things you should know before trademarking:
There are the most important things you should know before you trademark your business. These things are as follows:
Verify your trademark and make sure that it is not already taken by another company.
Make sure you register your domain name because there are a few startups that search for the most popular name and use it in their business.
You should know the rights passed in the Anti-Cybersquatting Consumer Protection Act into law in November 1999.
Make sure you bookmark the Internet Corporations for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) for the just-in-case situations.
You should know how to use a trademark or a service mark without registering the USPTO. This gives you protection under the law so that you can bring an action in court.
How much does it generally cost to Trademark?
Most of the business owners know how to trademark and when to trademark. Certain new owners do not know how much will it cost to trademark or register their business. There are different trademark costs for different products and services. For instance, the cost of Federal filing is $275 per class of goods. So if you go for a clothing line or jewelry the trademark will be $275 for each of the product categories or class. So there is a different cost for different product classes.
Risks of not Trademarking:
There are hundreds of risks associated with not trademarking. Some of them are as follows:
Your trademark can be hijacked in some countries if it is not registered.
The owners of other companies might sue if they find your trademark similar to theirs.
It is difficult to defend yourself if you find someone using your trademark.
The trademark will not be sold separately then if it is unregistered.