When applying to register your trademark, the United States Patent and Trademark Office will ask on your application, “Are the goods or services that the trademark represents being used in commerce?” This question is more important than it seems because the answer will determine steps later on in your trademark application process, and incorrect […]

The process of registering a trademark is still relatively straightforward: there is a roadmap of steps that must be executed in order to successfully process an application into a registration. However, the landscape of the trademarking process itself has evolved slightly in the post-COVID world. We highly recommend you start this post, but below is […]

This is false. Any time we launch a new startup, we file our trademarks first. This allows you to get a head start on the arduous filing process, and allows you lodge your trademark in the system first. This is the wisest way to launch, grow, and scale a business. This is what separates charlatans from professionals.

In other words, how to take down fake websites or scammers with your trademark, part two. In part one, we discussed the exact steps to take if you discover a scammer has set up a fake website, impersonating your own. You can find that post here. Arguably the most effective step is filing a UDRP […]

As we’ve shared many times, until you trademark your business name, you do not own your business name. This alone is an incredibly important reason why every business owner needs to trademark their business name (after all, do you really want to be forced to rebrand, change your business name, and deal with any legal […]

As  some may know, in addition to running this law firm, I am the co-founder of a 501(C)(3) nonprofit, the Special Forces Support Fund™. The Special Forces Support Fund™ exists solely to support actively deployed Army special forces soldiers. The term “special forces” is used a bit loosely by civilians (we usually mean “special operations […]

What symbol should you use after your business name? And when can you use ™, or ®? Any time you use your trademark, you should use a trademark symbol with it to let consumers and competitors know you are claiming your product and brand as your own. The symbols let others know you are asserting […]

A trademark is any word, phrase, symbol, design, or any combination thereof, that identifies your brand of products or services. It can be the name of your product, your slogan, or even your logo. Trademarking is one of the most critical aspects of owning a business that every entrepreneur needs to know about. Let’s use […]

Everything you need to know about maintaining a trademark Trademark protection is an ongoing endeavor. In fact, there are two main ways that you must maintain your trademark registration: 1. Continue to “police” your trademark (i.e., watch for similar names) According to the USPTO website, “[y]ou are responsible for enforcing your rights if you receive […]

From concept to shelf, authoring and publishing a book can seem like a daunting task. In modern times, unless already established as a bestselling author, much of the work of traditional publishing is done by the author. When writing a book, there are three aspects of intellectual property that authors need to keep in mind: […]