How to Choose a Trademark for Your Company
Every successful business starts with a name that captures customers’ minds and hearts. The right trademark can go beyond just words and be a symbol of quality, trust, and reliability. However, you must be strategic when choosing your trademark.
If you choose your trademark wisely, it could be the start of launching a successful business. Choosing poorly, on the other hand, will not only mean that your brand will not be properly represented, but could lead to legal troubles down the road, too. Below, our Knoxville business and commercial law attorney outlines some tips when choosing the right trademark for your company.
What is a Trademark?
Trademarks are a form of intellectual property protection and when they are chosen and used properly, they can be very powerful. A trademark will grant you exclusive rights while preventing your competition from using a similar mark. This provides customers with clarity and establishes brand identity and recognition. Trademarks have an important role in developing your business. Finding the right one will give your company a unique presence in the marketplace.
How to Select a Trademark for Your Business
There are four important elements that can make your trademark as strong as possible. These include:
- Memorable: A good trademark will have distinctive and catchy qualities so that customers will remember them and recognize them immediately.
- Distinctive: Your trademark should distinguish the services or goods you offer customers from the competition.
- Relevancy: Of course, your trademark must be closely connected with the products or services you offer.
- Easy to spell and pronounce: If your trademark is full of obscure words or complex images, customers will not notice or remember it. Instead, choose a trademark that is easy to spell and pronounce so it can stay in the minds of customers.
Once you have chosen a strong trademark, you must then conduct a search to determine if it, or one similar to it, is already in use.
How to Search for a Trademark
It is critical that you conduct a trademark search before registering yours. You must make sure that not only is the mark you have chosen available, but also that it does not infringe on the rights of another company. The following tips can help during your search:
- Use an online database that provides trademark services, such as the Trademark Electronic Search System of the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
- Consider if using a professional trademark search service is right for you.
- Consider the availability of the domain name you want to use.
- Look through publications specific to your industry to determine if there are trade names or trademarks that may be relevant.
Trademarks often have specific jurisdictions so it is important to determine if your trademark is too similar to another in the same area.
Our Business and Commercial Law Attorney in Knoxville Can Help with Your Trademark
At Atkins Brezina, PLLC, our Knoxville business and commercial law attorney can help with all aspects of your business whether that is your trademark, entity formation, or another aspect of your company. Call us now at 865-500-3121 or contact us online to request a consultation.
Source:
tmsearch.uspto.gov/bin/gate.exe?f=tess&state=4808:dgp3ip.1.1
