What is a Trademark? A Trademark is simply a word or a sign, or a logo, which is usually printed on a company’s products to make those products recognizable from other companies’ products. Your trademark will eventually become your identity, and your costumers will recognize you with that.
A good trademark choice is catchy for the mind, so it’s easily remembered by the consumers.
What are the steps to register a trademark?
Registering a trademark for your products and your services is the same. The Patent and Trademark Office requires some documents about your business location, your personal identity & and nationality, and an application form. What is recommended at the registration level, is to prepare at least 2-3 options for your brand name or your trademark symbol. Just in case your first priority name doesn’t comply with the regulations, you would use the second and third alternatives.
Trademark Protection
Trademark protection is simply the matter of possessing a trademark and making sure that no one, in the world, will use your brand’s name, sign, symbol on their products.
The registration office, somehow does not guarantee that your trademark will be safe. They only register new names and trademarks in their database, and it’s your duty to protect your trademark from being hijacked. You can do that by:
- Choosing a very special and unique name
- Checking the new registered businesses to make sure they don’t look like yours
What is a Trademark License?
Once you get your trademark, it will make only you eligible to work and produce under that name. However, there are times that a business owner needs another person who is not working for him, to provide services or products with the same brand. Therefore, a license is needed to be given to this second person so he’s granted the same privileges regarding the given trademark.
Business Classification
Classification is also an important matter to be considered. You may need a consultant so you can choose the most proper classes that your business falls in, because if you fail to choose the correct classes at the registration level, you won’t be able to undo your choices.
Trademark Refusal
If your trademark falls under any of the following criteria, it will be rejected:
- Being not distinctive
- Descriptive terms that must be kept freely available for general use
- Obvious risk of deceiving the public
- A governmental sign included in the trademark
- Being offensive by society’s definition of morality
