Have you ever been through the process of registering a federal trademark whether for your company / brand or a particular product? It is a nightmare… at least it was for me. I’ve been through the process three times – one of which was successful and the other two, dismal failures. On the two fails, not only did I not get the trademark I wanted, I was out several hundred dollars.
Now, I must mention that I went through the process on my own. If and when I ever have to do it again, I think I’ll hire a copyright attorney, not only to avoid all the hassle, but to ensure the best possible chance of success as well. That being said, anyone can register a federal trademark. You do not necessarily need to hire a lawyer, but you will need to prepare yourself for a lengthy and cumbersome process.
The following infographic from GerbenLaw is an excellent guide that will help you navigate through the process of registering a trademark with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. I only wish I would have had this handy through my processes.
This is a typical government process: cumbersome, capricious and costly.
Martin Lindeskog
David Wallace: What is the difference between a trademark and copyright? In the infographics, do you ask for permission to use similar font, letters and graphical profile like eBay, Apple’s logotype, etc?
You might find this helpful – http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-difference-between-a-copyright-trademark-and-patent.htm. Essentially a copyright protects a wide range of creative or intellectual work while a trademark is used to protect a word, symbol, device, or name that is used in commerce.
Hi Martin,
Good question. I have a video on my Web site that explains the difference between a trademark and a copyright. You can view the video by going to this page:
http://www.gerbenlaw.com/university/what-is-a-trademark/
I hope it helps!
-Josh
Ti Roberts
Great list of tips here. It’s definitely important that you protect your trademark and brand.
Ti