Trademark Lawyer Charlottesville, VA
As a trademark lawyer Charlottesville, VA trusts can explain, trademark is any word, symbol, name, or a combination of the three that is used to identify and distinguish the products or services of one seller from another seller. A trademark lets the consumer know that the products or services come only from your company and no one else. Getting your trademark registered with the United States government can be a difficult process.
Trademark vs. Patent vs. Copyright
There are three similar branding techniques that are often confused: trademarks, patents, and copyright. All three protect intellectual property, however, as a Charlottesville, VA trademark lawyer can outline, their protection varies greatly.
Trademark – A trademark is a brand used on goods or services.
Patent – A patent is created to protect inventions.
Copyright – A copyright protects original artistic or literary work.
For example, if you invented a new type of dishwasher, you would need a patent to protect the design and invention of the dishwasher. You would then need a trademark to register the name and branding of the dishwasher. If you were going to create a television commercial to market the dishwasher, you could copyright the commercial.
Do you have to register your trademark?
While there is no law that mandates that you register your trademark, it is strongly recommended for a variety of reasons. If you do not want to go through the process of federally registering your trademark, you are able to register it within your state, as a trademark lawyer in Charlottesville, VA can explain. However, this does not provide you protection from someone in a different state having a similar trademark. The benefits of registering your trademark include:
• Allows for exclusive rights of your trademark across the country and territories for your product or service
• Creates legal presumption that you are the owner
• Public notice of ownership
• Allows you be listed in a database which will help others avoid selecting a confusingly similar mark
• Sue in federal court over trademark infringement
• Use as basis for foreign registration
• Use federal trademark symbol
You have worked hard to create a unique trademark for your product or service and you deserve to have your hard work protected. We will be there to help you in case there is trademark infringement. You should not have to fight to keep your federally-registered trademark protected alone. We are also able to help begin the process to register your trademark internationally if your business is expanding worldwide. Call trademark lawyers at Dale Jensen, PLC, located in Charlottesville, VA, to set up a consultation to learn more about your trademark.