Dec 05 2008
Small Business: Protect ideas and brands with a US Patent or Trademark
Entrepreneurs often come up with ideas that they turn into thriving small businesses. It is important to legally protect those ideas. Lettering, colors, phrases and symbols can all be protected by a Trademark.
Trademarks can be registered or unregistered. Either one protects legal rights but a registered trademark goes further. Federal protection from infringement both local and abroad and the upper hand in a lawsuit is a couple of important reasons to go the extra step to get your Trademark registered.
Receiving a Trademark is not extremely difficult but it is a precise process. You could pay as much as several hundred dollars for your Trademark so if you feel more comfortable with guidance hire a patent attorney.
Once your Trademark is proven to be original it will be issued to you in about three months. You may be protecting the next “golden arches”. For more information about obtaining a US Patent or Trademark check out uspto.gov.
