7 Benefits of Conducting a Trademark Search & Registering your Trademark
Get your business name, logo, or other relevant marketing material protected. Don't know why? Here are a few reasons.
1) Value: Having your mark registered raises the value of your business. Using a trademark helps you brand your business and provides a means for you to create more potent name recognition. Further, a registered mark is an asset that adds tangible value to your business, likely increasing the purchase price if you ever were to sell it.
2) Notice: registering your mark (i.e. word, logo, sound, shape, color, scent, or taste) places your mark in a national database that is easily searchable and puts others on notice that your mark is protected. This strongly discourages other individuals from attempting to use any mark that may be confusingly similar to your own.
3) Nationwide Protection: as of the date of application your mark will be treated as if it is used nationwide. This is important because priority is otherwise given to the first person to use the mark and limits your rights to a geographic area or reputation of the mark, potentially preventing you from expanding your business to other regions.
4) Who Else: A trademark search provides you with a comprehensive understanding of any similar marks being used in both national and international venues. This allows you to make an informed choice about branding or naming direction for your business and prevents you from the huge costs of rebranding.
5) Incontestability: after your mark has been registered for five years you are provided with a heightened protection possibly leading to your mark becoming “incontestable,” which can help not only in court proceedings but also provides the ability to more forcefully convince others to cease using your mark.
6) That Little R: registration allows the right to use the ® symbol on goods and services listed in the registration (unregistered marks may be designated by a superscript “TM”), providing an additional boost to your branding and warning possible infringers that you take protecting your brand seriously.
7) Cash Money: Gives you the right to impose statutory damages in the instant where the services or goods listed under your mark are counterfeited, and that can mean significant money in your pocket.
If you're interested in registering your mark, please reach out.