Intellectual property could prove to be one of your most valuable assets many years from now. If your company is new, establishing a solid brand may be on your list of goals, but it probably seems like something you won’t need to worry about protecting for a while; after all, building a business is usually centered around building capital and a clientele.
Research Before Attempting to Register
Marketing is key, however, and that logo or symbol that you created to denote familiarity with your company may be with you for the long run. It could be something extremely simple too, keeping in mind designs like the swish or the arches that draw customers back year after year to spend billions! You may need a trademark for an extremely professional branding mechanism like a logo or even a crest, word, or phrase that allows the public to understand what you are selling. Along with this come service marks too, different because they designate services offered by your company, rather than the products.
Although intellectual property belongs to you as soon as you create it, consult with your intellectual property attorney about protecting it the right way, registering with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Before doing so, however, it is important to have your attorney run a search on the current trademarks (and service marks) already in existence. Knowing what is already out there will let you know what you might be up against should there be any sort of infringement issue. Having something that is similar or identical could cause legal problems for you, and conversely, once your trademark is registered, it makes it difficult for someone else to infringe on your tools for branding your business.
Understand What Type of Protection You Need
Once you do have a registered trademark through the USPTO, it is usually good forever, but you must continue to use it and pay for continued registration as required for ten-year terms. Other types of intellectual property such as copyrights and patents can be applied for too, for relatively long periods of time, allowing you to protect your company further. Speak to your attorney about what licenses or registration are best for your intellectual property—you may be surprised at what you find out!
Contact Us Now for Help
The Bolender Law Firm can assist you in all intellectual property matters. Call us at 310-320-0725 now or submit an easy consultation request online. We are here to help!