When designing the intellectual property of your business (Trademark Lawyers with Free Consultation: Why & How? - Bgpaapd), you need to take pre-emptive steps to protect it from squatters and thieves who’ll steal your revenue and success. It is important to choose a law firm that specializes in intellectual property for businesses, especially one that has been working with startups for years to help them patent their discoveries and protect their ideas. We’ve seen firsthand the risks of not protecting your intellectual property, so we want to help you avoid mistakes that could cost you time or money later on.
Here’s the process and benefits of a proper trademark protection strategy:
Trademarked Names and Logos
A trademark is a word, symbol or design that identifies a brand. Trademarking, for example, can be used to protect your company’s name and logo. When people see the symbol ®, they know that it’s not only an official mark of a specific company – they have one of the best levels of protection they can be afforded: federal protection.
This means that the mark has been successfully registered with a federal government agency; in the United States, that would be the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Trademarked Catchphrases and Products
Trademarking your business name, slogan, or product is a good way to protect yourself from competition. It also helps you keep the integrity of what makes your company unique.
When it comes to mega-brands, such as Coca-Cola, Apple, Nike, Starbucks, and the likes (with whom bgpaapd.com is thoroughly familiar), they have grown to where the mere sight or mention of their names or logos immediately triggers an emotional response, a memory, a taste, a smell, a desire to do something.
Human experiences naturally attach themselves to brands. Those corporations do trademark registration because they know it will protect them from imitators.
The Role of a Trademark Lawyer
A trademark lawyer will be able to help you with the process of getting a trademark for your company’s products. The best lawyers know what the most successful companies do to become and stay profitable, and they essentially help you model your IP strategy after that.
The first step in the process of trademark registration is to file an application with the U.S Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). This fee depends on the type of trademark you are applying for. It can be a “word mark,” identifying a phrase, a company name or a product; or a “design mark,” identifying a unique graphic that identifies your products or branding. In some cases, it could even pertain to the design of your product itself!
After filing the application, it takes about 12-18 months before you receive approval from USPTO. This can depend on the complexity of your application.
By trademarking your business’ name, slogan, or product you are able to protect the intellectual property rights of a company. The most important thing is that your IP is clearly serving a practical purpose. It’s serving its core function as a marketing asset, and making clear your advantages over the competition.
To get help creating a reliable trademark strategy, we recommend reading Trademark Lawyers with Free Consultation: Why & How?.