Common Questions Business Owners Have About Trademarks
Building a strong and recognizable brand for your business or product can be essential for your long-term strategy. This will likely involve procuring a trademark to protect your brand, but there are likely some concerns about filing for a trademark that you could benefit from having addressed.
Why Would You Need To Invest In Procuring A Trademark?
One of the advantages of having a trademark is that you can register symbols, names and other attributes that are a key symbol for your business or service. Without the protection of a legal trademark, it would be possible for any competitor to start copying the most recognizable aspect of your business.
A legal trademark is essentially an acknowledgement from the government that your particular trademarks are officially reserved for use by your company. While the process of filing for a trademark can be rather expensive and lengthy, there may not be a better option for preventing unauthorized copying or use of your company's symbols.
What If You Find Someone That Is Violating Your Trademark?
In the event that you discover unauthorized use of your trademark, you will need to inform your attorney, such as Mohajerian A Professional Law Corporation, so that a cease and desist letter can be sent to the offender. This letter will clearly outline their violation of your trademark as well as the appropriate trademark registration numbers so that they can confirm you hold the trademark.
In many instances, this will be sufficient to stop the offending party from using your trademark. However, there are some individuals that will ignore this warning and continue using your trademark. If this occurs, you will be able to file a lawsuit against that party for trademark infringement. This will allow you to claim damages and pursue compensation from the infringing party. Once this lawsuit is filed, a judge will likely issue an injunction prohibiting the other party from using the trademark until the case is resolved, which can limit the damage to your brand as this legal issue works its way towards a resolution.
What Is The Cost Of Procuring A Trademark?
It is common for businesses to be hesitant about filing for a trademark due to the time and costs that are involved with this process. It can take up to several years for a trademark request to finally be approved, and it will likely require the use of an experienced trademark attorney. The final costs for procuring the trademark will vary based on the number of complaints and hearings that will be needed to be awarded the requested trademark. However, being able to protect your brand against unauthorized copying can be more than worth these expenses.
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