— Trademarks —
A trademark (or service mark) is a word or symbol used to identify and distinguish the source of goods or services of an entity from those of other entities. Having a brand name or logo can be of tremendous importance to a business. If you have a unique brand name or logo, it tells the public that your business is the source of the goods you manufacture or of the service you provide, and visually distinguishes your goods or services from those of your competitors. The McDonald’s golden-arch “M”, the Nike check mark and the NBC peacock are examples of trademarks.
Our firm has registered many trademarks for our small business owners. Your business’s trademark should be officially registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. It may not be necessary to register your mark, but doing so has several advantages. Federal registration gives the public notice of your mark, it creates a legal presumption that you are the owner of the mark and it gives you exclusive rights to use the mark. For more information on trademark, see www.uspto.gov.
