The following is an edited transcript of Chapter 10 of my book video Building a Bold Brand: Trademark Registration is More Valuable than Ever
Protecting your trademark provides more benefits than at any time in history:
- Simply appearing in the USPTO’s online database can prevent someone who otherwise would have adopted a similar name for a similar product or service from going forward with that name.
- Obtaining a registration may be statistically more difficult, given the sheer number of existing registrations, and is therefore much more valuable.
- Protecting your trademark now to potentially block, stop, or avoid future infringement is extremely valuable.
- A trademark registration is an important tool in seeking to enforce rights against someone cybersquatting on a domain name (a Uniform Domain- Name Dispute-Resolution Policy (UDRP) domain name complaint). Having a trademark registration is likely to make blocking a conflicting domain easier, quicker, and cheaper.
- Having a trademark registration is a valuable tool in making a complaint regarding social media username infringement.
- A trademark registration can be renewed forever, provided the mark is still used in commerce.
- The internet has lowered barriers to starting a new business, therefore finding a good and protectable brand name is becoming increasingly difficult. Those who have protected trademarks are in a better position than those who do not.
- Non-traditional trademarks (shapes, sounds, smells, configurations, and other “odd” trademarks) are increasingly becoming part of marketing for small and big businesses. The USPTO’s online application system has made obtaining these non-traditional trademarks far easier and cheaper than a decade ago.
- Our culture’s obsession with brands continues to grow deeper, and America’s reverence for great brands and their trademarks continues to expand. Every business has the same opportunity, and they all share a common first step: Register your trademark!
Learn more about trademark registration here.
