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Should I trademark my Logo?
Home » Advertising & Marketing » Logo Design » Should I trademark my Logo?Posted by Your Guide on November 16, 2005 2:18 PM
Absolutely! If you like the design and believe it has the necessary qualities to stay with your business for years, trademark it. This will protect from being used by other companies. Before you start this process go to the US Patent and Trademark Office web site, and read everything there you can. Once you’ve done this you’ll have a better idea of what to expect during the trademark registration process.
There are state trademarks and national trademarks. If you own a company in Idaho, but plan to sell goods or services to anyone in Texas, you should register your trademark in both states. You can choose not to register your trademark, but if you do you will be given some legal protection regarding ownership of your trademark.
You must actually use the trademark in your business dealings before you can register the trademark. An artist can’t develop a business design and register it with the trademark office unless they are actually using that logo design for their own business. This prevents the registration of trademarks that will later be sold at a premium to businesses, much the same way that web domains are bought and sold for sites that don’t yet exist.
Because you’re going to trademark your design, make sure you have incorporated original artwork rather than clipart. Clipart is too easily copied and the trademark process could be difficult if your logo design includes clipart that’s readily available to thousands of others for use at no cost.
While you’re going through the process of registering your logo design for trademark protection, it would be wise to follow through and trademark your company slogan, and any other corporate symbols that are in use that are original and are unique. These symbols are just as much a part of your business as your logo and should be afforded the same protection from use by other companies.
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