Have you ever ordered a Coke at a restaurant only to have the waitress ask if you would like a Pepsi instead, then sit there wondering why she asked since either is fine with you? Hint: it’s not because she thinks you only like one or the other.
The reason is simple, Coke and Pepsi have her ask to protect their trademarks from becoming generic. If a trademark becomes generic it loses most of its value, and if your trademark is worth as much a Coke’s, you want to keep it protected.
Trademarks protect your company’s brand by giving you the exclusive right to use the trademark. Exclusivity means consumers can trust that anything using your trademark came from or is approved by you and meets your company’s requirements.
Rights in your trademark begin the first time you use it, but federally registering it affords you significantly enhanced protection that covers the entire country, whereas failure to register can allow someone else to use your trademark in parts of the country where you lack a presence.
Prior to designing or using your trademark, it may be worth considering a trademark search to see if someone else is using your trademark. Failure to do so could mean infringing someone else’s trademark, which may require you to rebrand or pay to use the trademark.
Whether you are just starting out or are an established company, a trademark is a great way to protect your brand.
For more information give us a call at (775) 448-6070 or use the online contact form.