A few basic tips for protecting trademarks on social media platforms:
- Register your trademark(s) with the USPTO.
- Sign up for usernames on all the major social media platforms that correspond with your main trademarks, even if you have no intention of using them. If you control those usernames, no one else can.
- Take action when appropriate – if a username or posting is misrepresenting your trademark and misleading customers in a commercial manner, file a complaint with the social media network (they all have their own process/forms), and if needed contact an attorney.
- Use the proper trademark symbols, including the ®, where appropriate to indicate your trademark is registered.
In essence, protecting trademarks on social media isn’t really any different from protecting them anywhere else: encourage proper use by others that points back to your business, and take steps to protect improper use that could harm your brand.
