Your business is growing, and you feel like you’re ready to protect your brand by applying for trademark registration. Yay! 

This is such an exciting step and a smart one to protect your business and your brand.

But before you begin the process of protecting your brand, slow down and consider these tips prior to filing your trademark application. 

Consider these 3 ways the trademark registration process can go wrong:

1. You’re working with an “online service provider” rather than an actual attorney

I have had  SO many clients come to me after a trademark application has gone wrong. They’ve gone through a website that starts with L and ends in Z) or a random trademark mill that popped up in a Google search. These services may be quick and cheap, but when they go wrong, they go WRONG!

2. Your name research isn’t comprehensive enough

You’ve got a great business name and you’re ready to protect it with a trademark?  First you should run a search and make sure that name, or a similar name, isn’t already being used by another similar business.

Note: A simple Google Search will not cut it!

3.Your business name cannot be trademarked.

It can be incredibly frustrating (not to mention, expensive) to file for a trademark and pay nonrefundable fees only to find out you’ve registered in the wrong category or that your mark is categorized as purely descriptive. There are several rules here, but some quick ones to keep in mind: avoid business names that are descriptive (such as “Diane’s Divine Dips”), location-based (“Durham Pizza Company”), use your last name (example: “Jones Coffee Shop”), or are generic (“Cheesy Pizza Pies”).

To avoiding trademark headaches and protecting your brand click the link on my webpage to schedule a consultation today!