Running a small business involves decisions about many costs that are not mandatory, but very important to the business. I know, I run one – our small boutique trademark firm. There are decisions on expenses tugging at small businesses every single day – rents, new equipment, software programs, advertising budgets, personnel, and many more.
Protecting trademarks is one such decision. For a cost of about $1500, each trademark (brand names, logos, slogans, and more) can generally be registered with the USPTO. Registration provides many legal and practical benefits — and may result in considerable savings. For example, if some other new business decides not to adopt a similar name because they searched USPTO.gov and found your trademark, that could be invaluable. For example, if you need to pursue another company for infringement of a brand name, in generally it will be much quicker, easier and less expensive when you can cite your ownership of a trademark registration. For example, if another company is interested in buying yours, investing in it, or licensing it, the tangible asset that is a USPTO trademark registration – along with the knowledge that the name can be and has been protected – may be invaluable.
And the peace of mind a trademark registration provides – knowing that you have done everything possible to protect your brand and to minimize the risks that it could be taken from you or copied by someone else – is priceless.
If your brand is an integral part of your business – and for 90 percent of small businesses, it is – can you afford not to protect your trademarks?
great brands are everywhere – like this slogan “FIRST IN THE LONG RUN”
