Trademark Filing Considerations

Every business has intellectual property needs. Even if your business doesn’t have any unique/proprietary technology, or creative expressions worth protecting, or even valuable trade secret information, your business at least has a name. And even if you have no desire to strengthen your rights in your business name by seeking a state or federal trademark registration, you should still determine whether anyone else is already using the same or a confusingly similar name before you go to market. In other words, even if you don’t want to spend the time or money protecting your company’s intellectual property assets, you should at least take the time to better ensure that you have “freedom to operate,” so that you don’t get hit with any surprise “cease & desist” letters after you go to market. 

Trademarks play a key role in building brand loyalty and a strong customer base. As such, prioritizing trademark protection is just as important for start-ups and solo entrepreneurs as it is for enterprise businesses. This presentation will cover topics including types of trademarks, strength of trademarks, how to perform a clearance search, how to create a description of goods/services, and how to file a federal trademark application. 

If there is a trademark you’re considering for your business, product or service, please feel free to mention it in your sign-up, making sure to include both (1) the trademark and (2) the goods/services you plan to offer under that trademark. As time permits, Justin may provide real-time feedback and use your trademark as an example during the presentation to demonstrate how to perform a clearance search and/or create a description of goods/services.