Trademark

If you have been through the drawn-out process of registering a trademark, you realize it is not a quick and easy process.  Between backlog at the USPTO, office actions from Examiners, and oppositions from the public, there are many hoops to clear before registration.  But did you know that a mark owner’s responsibilities do not end there?  A mark often becomes the most valuable association with a brand.  The tips below will help mark holders ensure the time, energy, and money put into their mark and brand will be protectable and valuable for years to come.
Continue reading “Adding Brand Value through Protecting Trademarks” »

Anyone can use the TM symbol for anything. When you use it together with a word, phrase or logo, you’re just saying that you consider that word, phrase or logo to be a trademark. You don’t need to have any registration or permission from anybody.  But you’re only allowed to use the circle-R “®” symbol if you have a federal trademark registration with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Please visit the latest issue of Valley Business Front May [PDF link] for the full discussion of how and when to register your business.

And if you’re interested in learning more about trademark and brand development, join us at our next round of Shark Bites this month.

“The NFL does its best to scare everyone else into thinking that they’re not allowed to use the term SUPER BOWL. So all the businesses that aren’t official sponsors are terrified. Under trademark law, they’d probably be just fine using the term SUPER BOWL. No one is going to think that a local grocery is discounting Fritos because it’s sponsoring the Super Bowl, and an electronics store would be well within its rights to run ads saying that the Super Bowl would look great on a new 110-inch TV.”

Please visit the latest issue of Valley Business Front [PDF link] for Keith Finch’s latest legal perspective on licensing and trademark issues.

Continue reading “The NFL Wants You to Think It’s Illegal” »