Overview

All businesses may have the need to register trademarks, including company or division names, product brands, logos and slogans or taglines. Protection of a trademark prevents confusion in the marketplace relating to uniquely identifiable brands and likewise protects the goodwill of a business symbolized by its marks. Trademark registration ensures that the marks are protected to the full extent allowable under U.S. trademark law. Our attorneys understand the necessity for protecting the public persona of a business through its trademark and are ready to assist clients with both the registration and protection of trademarks.

Protecting Your Business

A trademark is used to distinguish a business and its products or services from all others, so it’s important to protect that identity whenever possible. Marks are generally classified into categories that delineate increasing distinctiveness of the mark, and the more the mark is likely to be associated with a particular trademark owner, the greater the protection afforded to the mark under trademark law.  Our intellectual property attorneys can advise clients on protected marks and then assist in the registration of those marks at the state, federal, and international levels.

Infringing Uses

When a trademark is alleged to be infringed, the plaintiff must prove both that it has a protectable ownership interest in the trademark and that the other party’s use of that mark would likely create customer confusion. This “likelihood of confusion” is generally the central element in a trademark infringement case, but it is evaluated through a series of factors that each weigh differently in the equation. Our intellectual property team understands these factors and has the experience to guide clients through the trademark litigation process and aggressively litigate a trademark claim.

Trademark Services

Our experience allows us to assist our trademark clients in the following ways:

• Conducting clearance searches to select protectable marks
• Prosecuting trademark applications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) as well as with state trademark offices
• Facilitating the registration of trademarks abroad
• Maintaining and renewing trademark registrations in the U.S. and abroad
• Negotiating and documenting transfers and licenses of trademarks
• Recording trademarks with Customs to help prevent the importation of counterfeit goods
• Protecting our clients' marks on the Internet
• Resolving trademark disputes through litigation, including practice before the Trademark Trial and Appeals Board of the USPTO.

Take the First Step to Success

To discuss the ways our attorneys can assist your business with the registration of a trademark or to learn more about your legal issue that may lead to trademark infringement litigation, contact the firm online.