Trademark - Can I Trademark That?

What can you trademark? Say you’ve got a great idea for a business and you’d like to trademark it. The first thing you need to know is that you can’t trademark a mere business idea. Trademarks are only granted to companies actually engaged in business.

A trademark is a word, name, symbol, or device — or combination of those — that identifies the source of a product or service. These words or symbols can also include slogans, letters, numbers or even sounds — so long as they clearly identify the source of a product or service and distinguish it from all others.

Trademarks protect the public by preventing confusion, or deception by those who try to “palm off” their goods as those of another. Trademarks also protect the reputation of the producers of those goods and services, and can be very valuable in marketing and advertising.

So how do you establish trademark protection? Like copyrights, trademarks don’t have to be registered with the federal government. They still give their owners the exclusive right to use the mark in their geographic area of business, the right to bring civil action against infringers, and protection against false advertising.

Read the full article here: https://michelsonip.com/basics-of-ip-...

Brought to you by The Michelson 20MM Foundation & IPO Education Foundation, made possible by the generous support of Alya and Gary Michelson, M.D.

--------------------------------
An Intellectual Property Series by The Michelson 20MM Foundation & IPO Education Foundation

Executive Producer: The Michelson 20MM Foundation, IPO Education Foundation, Phil Kim
Producers: Mayra Lombera, Marisa Moosekian
Writer: David Kline
Animation: Derek Porter, Motionimation
Narration: Tony Pasquale

Based on the book: "The Intangible Advantage: Understanding Intellectual Property in the New Economy" - download it for free here: https://michelsonip.com/intangible-ad....

Written by: David Kline
Executive Editor: David Kappos
with Gary K. Michelson, Kerry L. Bundy, Richard Epstein, Paul Janicke, Paul R. Michel, Robert G. Krupka, Randall G. Kahnke

--------------------------------
michelsonip.com
ipoef.org

If you have questions or comments please email us at [email protected]