How to Trademark a Business Name Online?

Introduction

If you have a business name, you might wonder if you can trademark it. The answer is yes! If your business name meets the requirements for being registered as a trademark, you can apply to register it with the U.S. Trademark Office and keep others from using it.

What is a Trademark?

A trademark is a type of intellectual property that consists of a distinguishable symbol, design, or expression that is used to identify products or services as coming from a certain source and distinguish them from those supplied by other parties. Trademarks can be words (like “Apple”), phrases (like “Just Do It”), symbols (like the Nike “swoosh”), and even designs. Trademark rights are very valuable but they are limited to specific classes of products or services. For example, you may own a trademark for athletic shoes but not for clothing. You can’t get these kinds of trademarks without paying money to the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

Getting an official registration from U.S. authorities will help you protect your business name against infringement by others. Your business could lose customers if someone else uses its name for their own use in different classes as well as countries around the world where there is no legal protection for trademarks yet

What is the difference between a Trademark and a Business name?

In the United States, a trademark is a type of intellectual property that consists of a distinguishable symbol, design, or expression that is used to identify products or services as coming from a certain source and to distinguish them from those supplied by other parties.

Trademark registration is not required to establish rights in a trademark. Generally speaking, simply using the mark in commerce may create common law rights. Registration provides several benefits including notice to others that you claim ownership of your mark and an enhanced ability to protect it against infringement.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) registers trademarks through two systems: the traditional paper filing system, which is called “classic” trademark registration, and an online system, called TEAS Plus, that allows for quicker processing of applications at a lower cost than classic registration.

Conclusion

It’s important to know whether or not your business name is trademarked. You want to avoid legal trouble and protect your brand, so if you’re unsure about whether or not to get a trademark for your business name, we recommend doing some research on the topic.