Seven legal reasons to register your trademark
Your brand matters. After all, your brand is WHO you are, WHAT you do and WHY you do it. Remember: people are loyal to brands, not products.
Trademarks protect brands. They are the foundation of every successful brand. That is why it is important to register your trademark.
The best way to protect your brand is with a federal mark.
Here are seven legal reasons why you need to get a federal trademark for your mark.
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They put the federal government to work for you protecting your brand
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They come with National Protection
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Deter imitators
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Make it easy to protect your brand
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Lead to more (and repeat) sales
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Make foreign registrations possible
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They can go on indefinitely
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Make it easy to protect your brand
Additional reason: they are properties with real monetary value
Reason #1 to Register Your Trademark: Put the Federal Government to Work for You
The US Patent and Trademark Office will immediately begin rejecting trademark applications similar to yours. In fact, the USPTO is legally required to reject them. You can even ask the Department of Homeland Security to look for violations at the border!
Reason #2 to Register Your Trademark – National Protection
A federal trademark comes with the legal presumptions of ownership of your trademark in all 50 states, along with an exclusive right of use and access to the federal courts to protect it.
Reason #3 to Register Your Trademark: They Deter Copycats
Registration adds your brand to the federal trademark database, where competitors looking for new names will find it. They will have strong incentives to stay away from their federal rights or risk having to rebrand.
Reason #4 to Register Your Trademark: They Make It Easy to Protect Your Trademark
Your federal registration will allow you to bring an action in federal court for money damages. The threat of this potential legal option alone often gives violators pause. In this way, a federal registration makes it much easier, faster, and cheaper to prevent competitors from using conflicting trademarks.
Reason #5 to brand your brand – Lead to more (and repeat) sales
Trademarks help customers find the products and services they like. This helps make them repeat customers, especially for eCommerce businesses. Additionally, trademarks help customers recommend products and services to their friends. This is free marketing.
Reason #6 to Register Your Trademark: They Make Foreign Registrations Possible
A federal trademark can be used to ensure trademark protection in foreign countries such as Canada, China, Mexico, and the United Kingdom.
Reason #7 to Register Your Trademark: They Can Go On Indefinitely
Your federal trademark registration may not expire as long as it is used in “interstate commerce” and certain filings are made periodically. In fact, some of the most recognized trademarks in the United States today have been registered for over a hundred years. Mercedes, for example, was first registered in 1900. Pepsi-Cola was registered in 1896.
Reason for bonus: They are properties that are worth $
Federal trademarks are property. They are the way to monetize a brand. The more your business reputation grows, the more valuable your brand can become. Federal trademarks can be bought, sold, licensed (as rented or leased), or used as a security interest to secure a loan to grow your business.
Why wouldn’t he protect his good name and hard work?
Building a business that prides itself on offering quality products requires an enormous amount of hard work, dedication, and courage. Effective branding of those products also requires valuable time and creativity. Doesn’t it seem right to protect that effort and investment? After all, think about the sales you could lose if another business opened under your name.
Also, rebranding will be expensive.
At some point, you may face a challenge from a competitor about your brand. If you don’t take steps to clear and register your trademarks, you could find yourself in a battle you don’t want to fight. Rebranding is a nightmare that can be avoided by thinking ahead and taking action sooner rather than later.
In the end, it all comes down to this:
If you are serious about your business and your brand, then you need to protect it. A federal trademark registration is the best way to go.
