How do I get a trade mark established? I have created the logo/design but need to make it all legal. I plan to use it for my company name a logo. Do I contact a lawyer or simply placing it on my letterhead and b-cards simply enough? What is the general fee for this? Thanks for the tips to come! JustRay
you do not need to do anything. when you start using your logo in the course of commerce, it is automatically protected.. but if you really want to spend $300 and have a peice of paper as proof.. you can register with federal trademark and patent office..it may costs you more to do trade markablility research.. then again.. unless it becomes valuable enough.. it may not be worth the time and money to register..
Use of the logo and name in commerce does provide you with common law trademark protection. However, if you ever want to be able to defend your mark, you really do need to register. Takedown provisions by eBay, most hosting companies and domain name registrars (and others) require proof that you hold the trademark. The proof that they want is usually a copy of your registration... Here's another thing to think about as well. By registering your name and mark, there is national notice that you own those marks. Although it won't stop someone who's using your name maliciously, it will stop a lot of inadvertent infringers who will look up a mark before starting to use it for their own business.... Do you need a lawyer? Not officially. However, with the changes in the review process that began early this month, it would be advisable to use someone who is familiar with what is going on... If you have more questions, feel free to ask. Deena Burgess, Esq. _____________________________________________________________________________ Any opinions are offered without knowledge of the specific law of your jurisdiction and with only the limited information provided in your post. No advice given here should be reasonably relied upon by you or any third party without consulting an attorney who is aware of all of the facts and law surrounding your situation. Any advice given here is not intended to create an attorney-client relationship in any way.