Protecting a brand you are still building
What a trademark is, what a domain and an LLC are not, and what it costs to find out late. For founders who have a name and have not yet protected it.
Owning the Domain Is Not Owning the Brand
Registering a domain, forming an LLC and securing the handles all feel like protecting a brand. None of them are the thing that does.
2 min readBrand ownersHow to Trademark a Name: The Complete Step-by-Step Guide
Trademarking a name protects your brand nationally — here's exactly what that process looks like, step by step, with real USPTO fees and timelines.
3 min readBrand ownersCopyright vs Trademark: Which One Actually Protects Your Brand Name?
A name cannot be copyrighted, however creative it is. If your brand name is what you want to protect, the office you need is the USPTO, not the Copyright Office.
3 min readBrand ownersTM vs the Registered Symbol: When You Can Use Each One
One symbol you can add today for free. The other you have to earn. Mixing them up is one of the most common mistakes on seller listings, and it is easy to avoid.
3 min readBrand ownersThe Trademark ID Manual: How to Describe What You Sell
Describing your product badly is one of the easiest ways to slow down an application. The USPTO gives you a list of pre-approved wording, and a fee for ignoring it.
3 min readBrand ownersCommon Law Trademark Rights: What Using a Name Gets You
You do not need a registration to have some rights in your brand name. You also do not get as much as people assume. Here is the USPTO's own explanation.
2 min readBrand ownersTrademark Renewal: The Section 8 and Section 9 Deadlines and Fees
Getting registered is not the finish line. The USPTO requires proof of use at set intervals or the registration is canceled. Here is the schedule and the fees, straight from the USPTO.
4 min readBrand ownersService Mark vs Trademark: What the USPTO Actually Says
If you sell a service, are you filing a trademark or a service mark? The USPTO's answer is shorter than most people expect.
2 min read