Trademarks play an essential role when it comes to defining the identity of a business. They fall under the broad category of intellectual property alongside patents and copyrights. A trademark can be a word, symbol, name, or combination of all three. In other words, a trademark defines a business, service, or product. Below are some of the factors worth considering when it comes to trademarks.

How Patent and Copyrights, differ from trademarks

Patents are the rights that protect inventors’ innovations. They can be granted to scientific discoveries, products, or technical processes. Also, patents can be issued on existing processes or technology. The difference between trademarks and patents is that the former lasts for 10 years while the latter is granted for twenty years with no possibility of renewal.

Copyrights, on the other hand, give rights to creative works, art, movies, music, or books. Owners can showcase their content and also distribute it to the public. Copyright usually lasts a lifetime for owners and whoever wants to use any copyrighted material should first obtain a license.

Does your small business need a trademark?

Most small-scale enterprises aren’t fully aware of what a trademark entails. Others might think that a trademark is there to simply protect big brands or major corporations.

Trademarking is as important for bigger businesses as it is for smaller ones. You can either trademark your brand logos, packaging or words. Trademarking and uniqueness go hand in hand, and it’s always ideal to make your logo or symbol a bit different from anything out there. This in turn makes it harder for competitors to copy. Always seek the services of an intellectual property attorney when it comes to trademarking your businesses.

How do you attain a trademark for your business?

Although most if not all small-scale entrepreneurs think that trademarking is a complex process, on the contrary, it’s actually simple. The first procedure is to do a background check of what you want to trademark. It’s important to ensure that whatever item you want to trademark isn’t already someone else’s symbol or logo.

The next step is to apply for federal trademark protection. You can do so using the online platform or by visiting your local trademark website. The last step is to wait for the approval. When your trademark is approved, you automatically get exclusive rights for whatever you’ve chosen to represent or signify your business. Additionally, you also get a symbol that has a registered trademark. Public notice is also written to notify the public of the ownership of that specific trademark.

Final remarks

Intellectual property laws or to be specific, trademark laws exist to prevent competitors from copying creative ideas, symbols, slogans, or logos of your business. Similar to an experienced and reliable personal injury law firm trademark attorneys evaluate a case thoroughly. In our case, a trademark is evaluated to determine whether or not it’s worth using by a business or if it’s worth the time or effort.