Trademark Attorney for Boca Raton, Florida
A lot of people ask us, ‘Why do I need a trademark for my business?’ And the simple answer to that is your businesses name, logo, and branding are inherently valuable. You want to ensure that you’ve protected your business as your brand’s value grows and continues to appreciate over time. For example, if you’re in Tacoma, or driving on Highway 5, you’ve probably seen tons of billboards for corporations and mom-and-pop shops alike. And they’ve all got a certain feel to them, their branding. And that branding is valuable. You want to make sure that if you start a shop in Jupiter, that somebody two states over isn’t going to steal your idea and name and do the same business.
A great example I love to use is professional sports teams. Their need to have a protected brand name, logo, slogan, and such is invaluable because so much of their team’s value is wrapped up in their identity. There are lots of sports teams, but for fans, there’s always ‘my team’. Think about the teams near Milton and Edgewood, like the Tacoma Rainiers and the Tacoma Rockets. You can probably picture their logo in your mind, and you know that nobody else is using their names and logos to promote a professional sports team.
The Importance of Trademarks
A trademark is an identifier that enables you to create a distinguished product. If someone else creates a trademark and starts using it, they cannot stop those with the same trademark from doing so.
If a company wants to have an exclusive trademark, they would need to register it with the US Registation. Registering is required for protection of it and for people to know you are using that trademark.
Get the benefits of protecting your trademarks with a federal trademark
A trademark is a symbol, word, phrase or logo that identifies goods or services that comes from your company. It prevents others from using your name to sell their company’s product by allowing you to file a lawsuit against them.
Federal trademark registration allows you to sue infringers in a federal court, instead of state courts. Furthermore, with the increase in reputation and damages, it is easier for you to win your case.
Registering your trademark on the USPTO Principal Register produces constructive notice for other users. Conducting a registration search will prevent unintentional infringement, which is still actionable.
Why hiring a trademark law attorney is worth it and the benefits thereof
A trademark attorney can protect your trademark. The process of trademark registration can be difficult, but an attorney will help guide you from start to finish by completing the application and conducting a thorough search for any potential conflicts.
We recommend to clients not to try and trademark any products on their own, as there are many automated services that walk folks through the application process and offer advice. We love this because these services are bad, it drives a lot of business our way to our law firm.
We pride ourselves on not making a mess and assuring our clients that we can help them do it right the first time. Reach out to our office and we can advise you how to position your application or not even apply for a trademark at all. Sometimes, not applying is acceptable if your mark is already registered by somebody else.
What Constitutes Authentic Trademarks
Trademarking is necessary to show who owns an item and is also used for marketing purposes. It ensures that a customer goes to the right place if they want something specific.
Make sure you know the difference between copyrights and trademarks so your company’s intellectual property rights are adequately protected. Copyrights basically protect the author or artist, so that no one can use their work without permission (without a permit). It doesn’t matter if the copyright is registered or not; it still exists.