If you’re starting a business, you may be worried about potential trademark disputes. Trademark disputes can be expensive and time-consuming to resolve, which is why it’s important to take proactive steps to avoid them in the first place. Here are some tips on how to avoid trademark disputes and protect your brand.
Do Your Research
The first step in avoiding a trademark dispute is doing your research. Before settling on a brand name or logo, make sure that it isn’t already being used by someone else. You can do this by searching the United States Patent and Trademark Office database for existing trademarks that might conflict with yours. It’s also worth checking domain names, social media accounts, and other online sources for similar uses of your proposed mark.
Register Your Trademark
Once you have chosen a brand name or logo for your business, register it as soon as possible with the USPTO or an appropriate state agency (depending on where your business is located). This will give you legal protection from anyone who tries to use something similar in the future without permission from you. Additionally, registering your trademark will allow you to sue any other company that attempts to use it without authorization.
Monitor Your Mark Regularly
After registering your mark with the USPTO or an applicable state agency, monitor its usage regularly online and offline so that if someone does try to use something similar without permission from you then they can be held legally accountable before any real damage is done. The best way of doing this is by setting up regular searches using keywords related to your mark as well as setting up automated alerts when new results appear in search engines. By monitoring regularly, you will be able to stay ahead of potential infringements before they become serious problems. Our team offers a hassle-free Trademark Monitoring service to ensure that your brand is protected.
Take Legal Action Immediately
If, despite taking the above steps, you find that your mark is being used or copied without permission, don’t hesitate to take legal action immediately. Contacting an experienced intellectual property lawyer should be the first step taken after discovering possible infringement. Our attorneys have experience dealing with these types of issues as they arise, and will provide tailored advice regarding what options are available to protect you against further misuse of your mark. Taking prompt action often minimizes the damage done, while also sending a message that misuse won’t go unchecked in order to deter others from taking advantage of your intellectual property rights.
While it is impossible to tell if and when someone will decide to use your mark (or something similar), following these tips should help minimize the number of trademark disputes you encounter. Doing research beforehand, registering trademarks promptly, and monitoring them regularly are key actions for protecting yourself against potential trademark violations. Reach out to our team for more information on the services we provide to search, register, monitor, and protect your brand.