How does trademark work

For example, let's say you use a logo as a trademark for your small woodworking business to identify and distinguish your goods or services from others in the woodworking field. This doesn't mean you can stop others from using a similar logo for non-woodworking related goods or services. Another common misconception is believing that choosing a trademark that merely describes your goods or services is effective.

Creative and unique trademarks are more effective and easier to protect. Read more about strong trademarks. You become a trademark owner as soon as you start using your trademark with your goods or services.

However, a registered trademark provides broader rights and protections than an unregistered one. As your business grows and you expand online, you might want more protection for your trademark and decide to apply for federal registration. A federal trademark registration usually extends over the whole country. Ask any lawyer. During the application process, you should continue to use TM or SM. File a U. Why Beeline? Why not the other guys? The attorney behind it all A cautionary tale Trademarks Steps in registering a trademark What is a trademark and what does it protect?

How do I get and keep a trademark registration? What is a trademark and what does it protect? What is a trademark? Here are examples of some great trademarks other businesses own and use:. What do trademark rights protect? What do trademark rights NOT protect? Registered copyrighted material is managed by the Library of Congress. In general, a copyright lasts for the lifetime of the creator , plus 70 years.

In general, you also have the right to grant licenses for the use of your intellectual property. Some small business owners assume that trademarking is just for global brands.

But protecting your hard work and your brand identity is just as important for small businesses as it is for huge corporations. Brand logos are the most obvious and most commonly trademarked items for small businesses.

But you can also trademark words, symbols, packaging, and even sounds. Trademark assessment is a case-by-case basis, so if you have a question about whether part of your brand identity is trademark-worthy, a small business intellectual property attorney can answer your questions. Experts recommend making your logo and other business branding as unique as possible.

This serves two purposes: 1 A unique logo or symbol affords instant brand recognition and 2 a unique logo or symbol will afford your business greater intellectual property protection because it will be so distinctive, and therefore harder to copy. Trademarking is an important step for protecting your brand identity. It will stop competitors from poaching your customers by imitating your brand.

It can also offer you some protection if those copycats do something reputation-damaging. Some small business entrepreneurs are deterred from trademarking because they think the process is overly complex. In fact, trademarking is relatively straightforward. The first step to trademarking is to conduct a search for what you seek to trademark.

The second step is to apply for federal trademark protection. A fee will be assessed at this point in the application process.