A trademark is any name, symbol, figure, letter, word, design, phrase, slogan or mark adopted and used by a manufacturer or merchant in order to designate goods and to distinguish them from those made or sold by others.
A service mark is a trademark for a company that provides services rather than goods. The word “trademark” is often used to refer to both trademarks and service marks.
Businesses often use their trademarks as part of their domain names–the “address” by which they can be located on the Internet. We’ve got a page about our domain work here.
Virtually anything that can act to distinguish one entity’s goods or services from those of another can serve as a trademark. For example:
You acquire common law trademark rights by regularly using your business name, product name, tagline, logo, etc.-even if you have not registered your trademark/s. If your trademark is not registered, you can still use a symbol to indicate that you are claiming it: either “TM” or “SM” (in a circle, or not-your choice). “TM” is used for either goods or services. “SM” is only used for services-not for products.
A registered trademark is one that has been recorded with the trademark office of a nation or state.
In the United States, “registered trademark” refers to marks registered with the United States Trademark Office. Once registered, trademark owners can use the federal registration symbol, “®,” next to their mark. (Using that symbol for unregistered marks is illegal.)
Registering your trademark gives you important advantages, including these three:
Olive & Olive opened the first trademark practice in the Research Triangle area of North Carolina. Today we actively manage more than twenty-four hundred client brands-not just words, but everything from bottle designs to visual images and domain names, and from business brands to university and tribal logos. From the moment a client considers a new business or a new product line or service, we are there.
Trademark registration is complex with strict rules, but we guide you every step of the way. Our highly experienced trademark team knows how the system works, helping you avoid the pitfalls, and assisting you in presenting your trademark application in the best possible form to the Trademark Office of the USPTO.
Trademarks are important assets-the essence of your good name. Brand recognition and advertising drive sales. Olive & Olive partners with you to help you achieve your business objectives. We protect and defend intellectual property assets like trademarks and counsel clients from diverse industries on essential business matters including:
Your trademarks are vital assets that grow your business, distinguish your brand, and bolster your reputation. We treat trademarks with the respect they deserve. Olive & Olive combines high-powered legal expertise with incisive business sense, all the while keeping the focus on your bottom line.