I find that a lot of clients believe that if they are able to register the trademark as their business name when they register an LLC or Corporation that their trademark is “available for use.”   This, however, is not the case.  Trademark law in the United States is complex.  In order to know if a trademark is “available” for use, a full federal, state, and common law trademark search should be conducted by a professional.

My best advice to business owners is that before you open your doors, or start to market that new product or service, conduct a trademark search with a professional that can give you a good legal opinion as to whether or not it is safe to proceed.  And please, whatever you do, do not think that you can use any of the “free” searches available on the internet to ensure your trademark is available.   Those trademark searches are legally worthless.

If you would like to retain my firm to conduct a trademark search for you, please click here or call us at 1-877-350-6275

Gerben Law Firm can guide you through the trademark renewal process quickly and easily to help you continue to protect the name you registered as a trademark.  To file your initial Section 8 Statement of Continued Use (between the fifth and sixth year of ownership), USPTO charges a fee of $100.  To file your ten year renewal, USPTO charges a fee of $400 plus $100 to file an additional Section 8 Statement of Continued Use (which is required with the renewal).  Additionally, you need to be sure you provide the required documentation to prove that you really are using the trademark in commerce.

If you miss the USPTO deadlines for filing for renewal, your trademark is no longer federally protected, which reduces your ability to defend your name from competitors. We know our clients who file for trademark registrations value that protection, and we want to do everything we can to help extend that legal protection as long as possible. So if you’re ready to get started on the trademark renewal process, contact attorney Josh Gerben at (202) 294-2287.

Once we have completed a thorough and detailed trademark search and found no conflicting trademarks, our next step is to assist you in drafting and filing a trademark application that we are confident will be approved by the USPTO. The application is ultimately filed online using the Trademark Electronic Application System or TEAS.

There are a few elements of the application that I would suggest preparing prior to beginning the application process. These items include: a scanned JPEG file of the drawing of the mark and a scanned JPEG file of an actual example of how the trademark is being utilized in commerce. By offering my legal advice and assistance in the preparation of these critical components of the application, I make certain that your application is as well assembled as possible.

Furthermore, the trademark application will require that you specify the mark type as either standard characters or special form. A standard characters mark is one that does not contain any design element. In contrast, a trademark that is categorized as special form does include a design element. I will help you make the decision as to which type of trademark is appropriate for your product once we review your file.

The next section of the application pertains to goods and/or services information where you will need to complete of list of goods and/or services for your application. After reviewing the description of your product we will draft a legal description of your product that is appropriate for the application.

After we complete the application, you will receive an email which will allow you to review and approve the application for submission to the U.S. Government. At that time your application will be filed and your product name will be well on its way to receiving trademark protection. For any questions on how to trademark a product name please contact Josh Gerben Trademark Attorney.

Josh Gerben, Esq.
Principal
Gerben Law Firm, PLLC
1615 L Street NW
Suite 1350
Washington, DC 20036

(p) 202.294.2287
(f) 202.315.3386

My law firm was built to provide trademark search and application help to anyone or any business who has a name or a logo that they want to protect.  While anyone can go online and attempt to fill out a trademark application themselves, the process contains many technical details that are not apparent on the face of the application.  Failure to properly complete a trademark application can lead to its denial by the federal government.  My law firm works to help ensure that your trademark application will be accepted by the federal government and avoid the common mistakes made in applications.

A federal trademark is the strongest protection that any business can have on its name or logo.  My firm helps hundreds of businesses every year register a trademark.  If you are unsure how to get started in the trademark search and registration process please give me a call today.  I am always available to help in the trademark search and registration process.

Josh Gerben, Esq.
Principal
Gerben Law Firm, PLLC
1615 L Street NW
Suite 1350
Washington, DC 20036

(p) 202.294.2287
(f) 202.315.3386

While anyone can go on the USPTO Web site to conduct a trademark search, it is virtually impossible for an unskilled searcher to determine if a US trademark is capable of achieving registration.  This is because the USPTO search engine is not robust enough to do a thorough US trademark search without the skill of an experienced searcher.  In order to determine if a US trademark is capable of achieving registration, the US trademark searcher must break down the trademark into multiple parts and look for similar marks in categories containing related goods.  Therefore, it is highly recommended that a US trademark lawyer is hired to conduct a US trademark search.

Moreover, in addition to the federal trademark database, a US trademark search must include a US state trademark search and a US common law search in order to provide full legal clearance for use of the trademark.  This is because under US trademark law if someone has registered a trademark with a state or simply begun use of the trademark in commerce (i.e. a common law trademark), that person or company may have certain rights that could interfere with a federal trademark.  Therefore, a complete US trademark search also includes a search of state and common law databases.

Once the US trademark search is complete, only a US trademark lawyer can interpret the results to provide an opinion on whether or not a US trademark is capable of achieving registration.

For a complete US trademark search please visit www.trademarkarmor.com

While this USA trademark application can be completed by anyone, I highly recommend to potential clients that they retain my firm to complete their trademark application.  The reason I recommend retaining a USA trademark attorney to draft and file a trademark application is because there are many technical and legal elements hidden in the USA trademark application.  If certain information is not entered correctly, it could lead to rejection of the USA trademark application and loss of any priority established on the trademark.

Moreover, to register a trademark in the USA it is imperative to first conduct a USA trademark search.  If a trademark search is not conducted prior to an attempt to register a trademark in the USA a client may not be aware of a pre-existing federal, state or common law trademark that could result either in the rejection of a USA trademark application or in a limitation of the client’s rights in their trademark.  Therefore, to register a trademark in the USA I recommend to potential clients that they retain my law firm to assist them in conducting a proper USA trademark search and then for the drafting and filing of the USA trademark application.

Once a USA trademark application is filed, a client must then wait for the U.S. Government to review and approve their application.  It generally takes about 8-10 months to register a USA trademark from the date the application is filed.  However, so long as the USA trademark application is ultimately approved, the trademark rights start on the date the USA trademark application was filed.  Therefore, when a client wants to register a USA trademark to protect their rights, they can be assured that no one will be able to attempt to register a USA trademark that is similar to theirs after the date of their USA trademark application filing.

To get started with the process to register a USA trademark please follow the link below.

A comprehensive trademark search and filing package includes not only a search of federal trademark filings to ensure no one else has filed for a federal trademark, but also includes a search of each state’s trademark database and a search of all unregistered use of the proposed trademark.  The reason this comprehensive trademark search and filing package is so important is that if anyone else had made a state trademark filing or simply had used my client’s proposed trademark in commerce (i.e. common law use of the trademark) prior to the filing date of my client’s trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, this individual or company would have the right to keep my client from using the trademark in the geographic region in which the trademark was being used prior to my client’s federal trademark filing.  This could severely limit my client’s ability to use their trademark as they desire.

Therefore, it is only a comprehensive trademark search and filing package that can give full legal clearance for use of a trademark.  If a client elects only to conduct a federal trademark search on their trademark they may not know about a state registration or common law use of their proposed trademark which could limit their trademark rights.

For more information on Gerben Law Firm’s comprehensive trademark search and filing package please contact Attorney Josh Gerben at (202) 294-2287.

This is especially welcome news to international clients who are attempting to register a US trademark.  It allows the protection of valuable US trademarks without any cumbersome requirements (except of course proving that you are using the US trademark in the United States to sell a product or service).

However, it should be noted that international clients who are attempting to register a United States trademark should consult a U.S. attorney before filing a U.S. trademark.  This is because conducting a US trademark search and properly completing a US trademark application are tasks that only an attorney based in the United States can properly complete.

I have represented many clients from overseas in protecting their U.S. trademarks.  It is extremely important to conduct a US trademark search and complete and file a US trademark application prior to commencing business in the United States.  Many international companies are surprised to learn that a similar U.S. trademark may already exist and bar the use of the trademark they use in their home country here in the United States.  However, with proper planning expensive lawsuits can be avoided and clients can properly protect their trademarks in the United States.

If you are an international business looking to register a U.S. trademark please feel free to call Gerben Law Firm to find out how we can assist you in properly protecting your U.S. trademark.

To get a trademark you must submit a trademark application for your business name, logo or slogan to the USPTO.  However, to get a trademark you will first want to conduct a trademark search of the USPTO trademark database.  This is because if someone already has registered a trademark that is the same or similar to your proposed trademark, the USPTO may deny your trademark application.  In addition, you may want to do more than just a trademark search of the USPTO database.   A comprehensive trademark search would include a search of not only the USPTO database but also a trademark search of each state’s trademark database for trademarks registered in individual states and for common law trademarks (i.e. trademarks that have not been registered).   This is because even if you get a trademark registration from the USPTO, if another company has used your trademark prior to your trademark application filing date, this company would be able to prevent you from using your federal trademark in the geographic area in which they used the trademark prior to your trademark application filing date.

Therefore, the answer to “how to get a trademark” is best answered in two parts.  First, to get a trademark you should conduct a comprehensive trademark search to make sure that your trademark application will not be denied or that there is not another prior user of your trademark that would prevent your use of the trademark in a specific geographic location.  After the trademark search clears the trademark, you may then complete the second step to get a trademark, which is the filing of your trademark application.

For more information on how to get a trademark for your business click on the “Register Your Trademark” link below.