International Trademarks And The Madrid Protocol
Posted on April 22, 2008 - Filed Under Legal and Law | Leave a Comment
Protecting your logo and so on with a trademark is a smart move. Ah, but what about protecting it in the United States AND internationally?
Filling for a trademark is a smart move for practically any business. Although the process can be lengthy, the final approval gives you the ability to stop competitors from using your mark to confuse consumers and perhaps steal them.
To obtain a trademark, one has to file an application with the Patent and Trademark Office. The application sets out the areas, known as classes, you wish the mark to apply to. Once the “PTO” approves your application, it is published for comment. Assuming no objections are raised, your trademark is approved. It is important to understand, however, the mark only applies to the United States.
Read More..>>You Can Trademark A Lot More Than You Think
Posted on April 11, 2008 - Filed Under Legal and Law | Leave a Comment
Discussing a trademark in general is often difficult. Why? It has to do with the fact that you can trademark many things that are unique and entirely different.
When a person thinks of a trademark, most picture a logo of some sort. The swooping Coca Cola brand name is the classic example. Another example is the big red “O” you see in the television commercials for Overstock.com. Such examples of trademarks are fairly standard and most people can understand them without much effort.
Read More..>>Using A Mark You Cannot Trademark-be Careful
Posted on March 22, 2008 - Filed Under Legal and Law | Leave a Comment
When coming up with a logo or mark, there are plenty of options. Sometimes, people make a choice that cannot be trademarked and this leads to problems.
When you start a business, you probably have visions of huge success. At the same time, it can be difficult to plan for it when you are sitting in your home office or garage and just getting started. Unfortunately, this is when many of the most important steps are required to be taken. One is picking a mark to identify your products or services.
Read More..>>Can You Trademark Your Business Name?
Posted on March 8, 2008 - Filed Under Automotive, Legal and Law | Leave a Comment
A trademark is a distinctive image, word or other thing that associates with a product or service. So, can you trademark your business name?
Most people think trademarks are logo oriented. In some ways, this is true. The Nike Swoosh is clearly a logo trademark that stands out in peoples minds. When you see it, you immediately think of Nike and its products. While logos can clearly be trademarked, what about a business name? The answer is both yes and no.
Read More..>>Different Categories Of Trademarks
Posted on January 18, 2008 - Filed Under Legal and Law | Leave a Comment
For many businesses, establishing a well-known brand is the key to success. Of course, you need to protect that brand and trademarks are part of the process.
A trademark is a form of intellectual property. You can trademark words, symbols, names, sounds and even colors that distinguish a product or service. A classic example is the Nike swoosh, a symbol that is well known throughout the world. Unlike patents and copyright, trademarks do not expire so long as they are used and, of course, you pay the United States Patent and Trademark Office to renew them!
Read More..>>The Role Of Trademarks
Posted on January 7, 2008 - Filed Under Legal and Law | Leave a Comment
Once you start conducting business, you are going to start running into the topic of intellectual property and trademarks. Understanding the role of a trademark will help you grasp why they are important.
A trademark is a unique form of intellectual property. Most intellectual property is created to protect the person or business creating it. A patent, for example, is designed to protect the inventor from having other parties use it without consent. Copyright works much the same way. A person who writes a hit song should receive compensation from it and copyright is designed to protect the person in this regard.
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