International TrademarkBy owning an international trademark you have a huge advantage over the other companies who do not have this mark. No one worldwide is able to infringe on your mark. You have absolute rights to your trademark and can use the power of the law to your advantage. So how do you get started in obtaining an international trademark? Firstly you must file an application for trademark registration through the Patent and Trademark office. You are beginning the process of obtaining a registered trademark. Before filing, it is in your best interest to hire a trademark attorney to avoid any delays in the process of your application. The attorney will research your mark and make sure it has the best chance of passing registration with no problems. You can also have them help you with the filing process, and in the chance revisions need to be made during the registration process they can help you with that also. When you file your trademark application you must include a drawing of your mark on a clean sheet of paper, along with a description of the mark and what it will be used with and where it will be used. You will also need to include the registration fee. Check with the Patent and trademark Office for current fees. Once you file your application you will need to wait for your receipt of registration. This will usually take about three weeks to arrive after you file your trademark application. Once you receive this receipt your application is pending. This means you are able to request for an international trademark as well. The Madrid Protocol made it where once you have a pending trademark or a registered trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office's you may file a request for international trademark registration. To file an international trademark you need to fill out the international trademark registration application. Once you check the form for completeness you can file it online through the Trademark Electronic Application System. It is back to the waiting game after this. To check the status of your registration you can go to the Trademark Applications and Registration Retrieval database. If you do not have internet access you could also check the status of your trademark application by calling the Trademark Assistance Center. As with the standard registration process, it will take some time before you hear word back regarding your application for an international trademark. But in the end receiving your international trademark will be worth the wait. Once you receive your certificate of registration for your international trademark you are on your way to worldwide success in your business. Remember to use your trademark on everything that represents your company, including products and anywhere you advertise your service. By getting your international trademark out in the world you are building your company reputation. | |
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