Trademark RegistrationThe first thing that comes to most peoples mind when they decide to start a business is what the logo will be. A logo is considered a companies trademark. So it is in the company's best interest to legally protect that trademark and register it. After all, when people see your logo, you want them to think of your company. That is the entire point, right? So when you are thinking of a logo or trademark for your business, make sure it is catchy and will be easily remembered by your customers. Now you could just design your logo and place it with your products and anything that involves your company name. But if you are planning on having a successful business, this alone is not enough. Some may be wondering why I need a trademark. And what is the use of registering that trademark? Well, first of all, when you register a trademark, you have exclusive rights to that logo, symbol, or design. It now becomes a legal property. You and you alone are the only one allowed to place that trademark with your products and alongside your name. Other companies will not be able to copy that trademark, place it with their products, or use it in any way what so ever. So in order to best protect your products and company image, it is necessary to register your trademark. The United States Patent and Trademark Office is where all trademarks are registered. The USPO is the one that is in charge of registering the trademark and granting the owner or company exclusive rights to that trademark. This office is very active and always enforcing all intellectual property laws. To begin the process of registering your trademark you must first fill out an application with the Patent and Trademark Office. Once you submit the application to them, they will then review it and determine if it meets all the trademark requirements. If your application is not accepted, all the items and documents you mailed to them, including the fee, will be returned to you. If your application does meet the requirements and is accepted through the Patent and Trademark office, a serial number will be assigned to it and a receipt will be sent to you. It will take approximately two months after you file your trademark registration to receive the receipt back. But wait, this is not the end of the process. You are still not able to use your trademark symbol yet. You will need to examine the trademark symbol or logo that was produced through the Patent and Trademark Office's attorney. The attorney's job is to search through the entire database to determine whether your trademark symbol will be approved. If your logo has similar characteristics when compared to another trademark that is already approved, your logo will be rejected. Considering the many trademarks registered today, this can be quite a long process. If your trademark is rejected you will receive a letter explaining the reason your trademark was rejected. You will then be able to make any necessary changes to your trademark and have it reexamined by the lawyer. To avoid the long delays be sure to create a unique logo before registering your trademark. You can also hire a trademark lawyer to help move the process along. The entire process might take a little bit of time, but it will be will worth it in the end. | |
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