If you've come up with a great business name and brand image, you'll want to keep it exclusive to you. Learn how to trademark a name for a business here.

How to Trademark a Name for a Business

Running a business can be a great pleasure, but competition can be steep. More Americans are starting businesses than ever before, and figuring out how to get your company to stand out from the crowd can be a big challenge.

It takes a lot of work to create a memorable brand, and you won’t want this work to go to waste.

For this reason, it’s important to learn how to trademark a name for a business. Trademarking your name will be sure that the hard work you’ve put into building an identity is not taken advantage of by others.

What do you need to know about trademarking laws and the overall process? Read on. 

Contents

How to Trademark a Name for a Business

A trademark distinguishes your business and the goods and services you provide from others. It’s a source of protection for your business and means no one can use your name to sell their own goods. 

While the trademark application process is generally quite simple, it isn’t something you’ll want to put off. Moving through the whole process can take anywhere between a few months and a year. 

It’s also important to do your research ahead of time. Applying for a trademark doesn’t always mean that you’ll get one, so you’ll want to make sure you’re doing everything right and are qualified for this distinction. 

The process itself isn’t too difficult.

Initial Steps 

The trademarking process begins with the research we mentioned. First, you’ll want to determine if your business really needs this kind of protection. You’ll have a base level of protection without a trademark, as long as you can prove you were using a business name first.

However, if there is a real threat that your brand name could become well-known enough to need this protection, you should work on applying. If you plan to do international business, you’ll also likely want to trademark your name.

You’ll also need to do research to determine that there are no existing businesses that already use the name you intend to trademark.

Applying for a Trademark

Learning how to trademark a business is as simple as getting familiar with a few sets of paperwork. You can obtain a trademark application from the US Office of Patents and Trademarks. 

This application will require a wealth of information about your business, the goods and services that you provide, and the history of your operation. 

You might want to hire legal help to get through this application. You can and should learn more about the benefits of this kind of legal aid before making a decision. 

Once submitted, you’ll need to wait many weeks or even months for your application to be processed. 

Understanding Business Trademarking

If you’re running your own business, you’ll want to ensure you are protected from all outside threats. Learning how to trademark a name for a business can be important for any business owner, and the above information can help.

Need more immediate help with your business? Keep scrolling our blog for more information. 

Related Posts

Leave a Reply