How to Register a Trademark for Insurance

Introduction

If you’re starting an insurance business, then one of the first things that you need to do is register your company name as a trademark. In this article, we’ll walk through the steps of how to register your trademark for insurance and what it takes to get started on that process.

Determine if you Qualify for a Trademark.

You must be the first to use, or have a legitimate claim to use, the trademark. This is usually determined by who was using it first and how they were using it. You also need to ensure that nobody else has a similar trademark registered or pending registration.

You must be the only person using your trademark in commerce. If other companies are using this name as well, it will not qualify for registration with the USPTO unless there is no likelihood of confusion between your products/services and theirs.

Your trademark must be available for use on all goods and services listed in your application form (unless you intend on limiting its application). You cannot register a “Trademark” if you plan on applying it exclusively to one product line or service type—you must choose one class(es) of goods/services instead (e.g., Insurance).

Pick a Name for your Trademark.

While choosing a name for your trademark, always follow these points:

• Make sure the name is unique. A trademark name should be distinctive and not a common word or phrase in the insurance industry.
• Make sure it’s short and easy to say. You don’t want anyone confusing your trademark with another company’s mark, but you also don’t want it to be too long or complicated for consumers to remember.
• Ensure that it doesn’t sound like an acronym. Trademarks are often made up of multiple words and may sound like an acronym when spoken aloud, but there’s no need to include any letters that stand for other words when registering your trademark—this can lead to confusion down the line as others can use those same letters in their trademarks (think: “IBM”).

After you have decided on a name, make sure to comply with the following points to check the similarity of your name.

• Check the USPTO website.
• Search the USPTO database of registered trademarks.
• Check out their list of pending applications.
• Look at their list of registered trademarks and see if your name is on it (or not).

Complete your Application.

After you have met all the prerequisites, the next step is to complete your application and submit it to the Patent and Trademark Office. You can submit your application online at www.uspto.gov, or you can mail it to the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Include a description of the trademark as well as a drawing if appropriate (for example, if you are applying for a design mark that is not readily describable). Also include a specimen showing how the trademark will be used in commerce by displaying its appearance on one of these items:

1. Product packaging or container
2. Product label
3. Advertisement.

File a registration statement with the Patent and Trademark Office.

To register a trademark for insurance, you’ll need to file a registration statement with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The requirements for filing are as follows:

• File an application; this is called a “registration statement.” A registration statement is a document that describes the product or service being provided by your business. Here’s where some confusion can arise—you don’t actually file anything with your state’s Secretary of State as many people think. Instead, you fill out an online form on their website and upload any relevant documents.

You can find information about how much it costs to file at https://www.uspto.gov/. You’ll also need to make sure that they have all of your correct contact information before submitting your application!

Pay the Fee.

In order to register a trademark, you must pay the filing fee. The fee is $325 and must be paid by check or money order. Make sure you have the correct amount of money before paying it in. You should also make sure that you pay all fees for your application at one time to avoid any additional costs or penalties.

Be Patient.

The trademark process could take up to six months. The USPTO doesn’t just hand out trademarks; it’s a lengthy process, and the USPTO is only one of many parties involved in getting your trademark registered. Be patient and don’t expect it to be automatic! Once you’ve paid the fee for your trademark, it will be registered in about four months (but sometimes longer).

Takeaway.

One of the most important aspects of a trademark is that it must be unique. The same words can’t be used by more than one business. For example, Apple and Apple Computer use the word “apple” in their names but they have different meanings for this word. In this case, both companies are allowed to use “apple” as their trademarks since no one else has claimed it yet (unless you count all those other computers named after a fruit).

If you want to register your insurance company name as a trademark with the USPTO and sell insurance policies under that name, make sure nobody else has already done so! If someone has already claimed “XYZ Insurance” as a trademark before you did then there are two options: either try to find another name or fight them over who gets access to “XYZ Insurance.”

Conclusion

Hopefully, this guide has helped you understand the process of registering a trademark for your insurance company. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the paperwork and legal language, but if you’re patient and willing to do some research, then you’ll be on track to own a valuable piece of property in no time!