A trademark can be any word, phrase, symbol, design, or a combination of these things that identifies your goods or services. It is how customers recognize you in the marketplace and distinguish you from your competitors.

Owning a trademark (™) versus having a registered (®) trademark:

You become a trademark™ owner as soon as you start using your trademark with your goods or services. You establish rights in your trademark by using it, but those rights are limited, you have limited protections, and they only apply to the geographic area in which you are providing your goods or services. If you want stronger, nationwide protection and rights, for a national brand, you will need to apply to register your trademark® with the USPTO.

When developing a new product, to ensure a product's path forward, your financial security, and it's market potential, it is generally wise to create a distinctive Brand and Logo and Trademark it. We strongly suggest this, to legally secure your brand, logo, and trade dress from competitor intrusion, and or confusion.

Strong trademarks are unique, suggestive, fanciful, or arbitrary and are most likely to be registered by the USPTO. Weak trademarks are descriptive or generic trademarks (often acceptable in states) are not acceptable with the USPTO, and Registration and national protection will not be possible. You want your trademark to be unique, novel, catchy, and strong, as opposed to weak and generalized or generic.

Once your trademark clearance search is complete, and you have a positive trademark opinion that a trademark may be sought, our registered and licensed patent attorneys can draft your trademark application for registration, and file the trademark application electronically via USPTO TEAS Plus.