Trademark law and protection can be complex and difficult. But at its core, there are four simple steps that every business owner or manager can take to help the business obtain strong trademark protection:
- Identify – What do I have that is intellectual property (trademarks, copyrights, patents)? Review brand names, slogans, logos, websites, videos, podcasts, advertisements, written and graphic content, social media, and more.
- Notify – Provide proper trademark and copyright notices often and prominently.
- Register – Register the most important and valuable intellectual property assets.
- Contracts – Ensure that intellectual property rights are covered in contracts with employees, independent contractors, partners, manufacturers, distributors, etc.
If more businesses would follow these four basic guidelines, there would be many fewer expensive trademark disputes to deal with!
