Should a Startup Trademark its Name Early on

Introduction

One of the most important parts of starting a business is to protect your brand. When you register your company name with the USPTO, you’ll be able to make sure no one else can use that same name or trademark it in any way. A trademark registration gives your company legal protection against others using similar names or logos, which can lead to confusion among consumers and potential lawsuits if they’re not told there are other companies using similar names. But if you don’t register early on—or at all—it’s too late!

Trademark issues that startups face

Trademark issues that startups face

• Trademark infringement
• Trademark abandonment
• Trademark cancellation
• Trademark dilution

Should you Register a Trademark

You should register your trademark with the USPTO if you want to prevent others from using it. To do this, you must file an application and pay a filing fee. The process can take several months or years before you receive approval, but once it’s done, other people will be prevented from using your company name or logo without getting permission first (though there are exceptions).

If your company is small enough that registration won’t be worth the cost of filing fees and administration fees (about $400), consider registering with one state at first; then if things go well there, move on to register in another state.

Early Trademark Registration is Usually Worth it

Trademark registration is a valuable investment, and it’s important to make sure you protect your brand. When you register a trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), they will assign its generic name to that product or service. It also gives them priority over others who are using the same word in similar contexts—so if someone else comes along later with another product or service called “Wasteland,” they cannot claim ownership of their name because it’s already been registered.

If this sounds like something that only entrepreneurs should worry about, think again! If you’re launching a company and want to keep up with other brands out there doing things differently than yours, then registering early may be worth every penny spent on it.

Protect your Brand from Infringement

As soon as you decide on a business name, it’s vital to do a trademark search to protect your brand from potential infringement in the future. In addition, you should also reserve a domain name that matches that trademark.

If someone else wants to use the same name or a similar variant of your company’s name, they could be infringing on your trademarks. You can file an infringement claim against them if they’re using one of these names:

• Good Name – A descriptive word or phrase that describes what your business does (e.g., Laptop Repair).
• Generic Name – A word or phrase which describes an entire category (e.g., computer parts).

Takeaway

The importance of early trademark registration cannot be overstated when it comes to protecting your brand from being used by others. Trademark protection is an important tool for businesses because it allows them to stop others from using their logos or designs on products that are not theirs. However, there’s one thing that many businesses don’t realize: it’s not enough just to have a trademark; you must also monitor your trademark in order to keep up with changes in the marketplace and protect against infringement claims by other companies.

Conclusion

The best way to avoid issues with trademark infringement is by filing an application early on. This will protect your brand from being stolen by others, and it may even save you money in the long run if someone files a lawsuit against you for using their brand without permission. The bottom line is that when you register your trademark early, the chances of there being any problems are greatly reduced. If you still have questions about how much time it takes before registering a new mark or domain name then please contact us today!