Last week we highlighted the first two (of 10) trademark tips based on questions we are most often asked. If you missed that post, you can read it here. This week we share four more tips focused on the application process to help businesses of all kinds be successful business owners. If you need help with a trademark matter or …
Top 10 Trademark Questions Answered – Part 1 of 3
This year, resolve to protect your intellectual property assets. Did you know that of all the branches of intellectual property, trademark rights have no fixed term and can be protected indefinitely as long as they are used in interstate commerce? This makes trademarks more valuable than patents or copyrights both of which have fixed terms. In this three-part series, we …
Counterfeit Goods – Why Should You Care?
Counterfeit goods are the world’s largest illegitimate industry. Why should you care? In October, I educated more than 400 attorneys on how to protect their clients’ brands against counterfeiters. These continuing legal education programs were well-received. As intellectual property counsel representing brand owners, we are continually concerned about counterfeit goods as one of the biggest threats to a brand. But, …
Who Owns Your Trademark?
The answer is not as simple as you might think. Ownership is a threshold issue at the USPTO and yet many applicants get this wrong on their application. If the application is filed in the name of the wrong trademark owner, it may result in your trademark being worth less than the piece of paper it is printed on. Here, …
What Is an Office Action?
If you recently filed a trademark application with the USPTO in the past four months, you may have received an Office Action in response to your application. What is an Office Action? In its simplest form, an Office Action is a letter from the USPTO addressing any and all informalities with the application. These can range from very simple procedural …
What to do when you get a Cease & Desist Letter
First of all, and most importantly, do not panic. What is a cease and desist letter, you ask? Well, a cease and desist letter is a letter from a third party that objects to your use of a trademark (or other form of intellectual property) on the grounds that the third party believes your use of the trademark is so …
IP Tips for Small Business
Recently, I’ve been meeting with many small business owners who have many good questions about intellectual property and whether the federal IP protections apply to them. The answer is a resounding YES! If you are a business of any size with something unique to offer your consumer base, then you likely have some sort of brand, logo or slogan that …
Fair Use or Infringement?
Last month, the Second Circuit ruled that media-monitoring service TVEyes violated copyright law by re-distributing searchable audiovisual content clips from news outlets, including Fox News Network, reversing an earlier ruling that the service was protected by the fair use doctrine. The Second Circuit held that TVEyes’ use was transformative, but since the redistribution made available virtually all of Fox News’ …
What is the difference between my Company Name and my Trademarks?
Recently, I’ve been encountering a lot of confusion among business owners as to the difference between their company name (what is registered with the Secretary of State’s Office) and their trademark or brand name. This can be especially confusing if your company name and your trademark are essentially the same, except for the corporate identity descriptor at the end (for …
The Importance of Trademark Searching
Congratulations! You’ve decided on a new name for your new company or brand. How exciting! Before you apply for federal trademark protection, it’s important to conduct some type of trademark searching. But what kind? Trademark Searching Many clients tell me they have already conducted a search of the USPTO records; however, this only provides part of the story. When we …