Going to start a new business? Deciding a logo, name, or signature for your business is the first thing that comes to your mind. It segregates your business from the rest of your competitors in the market. The symbol that you choose, needs to have registration with trademark office. This symbol after registration is the trademark of your brand. For this you need to file an application for it with trademark office. However, filing a trademark is a series of steps that you need to follow along with important documents.
This article deals with the aspects of filing a trademark. So read till end and get to know everything about it.
Why filing a trademark is important for your business?
As told above, registering the trademark makes your brand appear uniquely in the market. This ensures that, general public in the market, doesn’t confuses other brands product with your brand. Apart from that, filing for a trademark application gives you legal right of your trademark.
It prevents others from copying and using your mark. This will also prevent them from misrepresenting their products using your mark. Even if they do so, you can easily get to know about them using trademark monitoring. You can then sue them for infringing your legal trademark rights.
Hence, to sum up filing a trademark name helps you earn profits, build brand recognition, brand value. In the end it also keeps your competitors away from misrepresenting your brand.
Filing for a trademark? Here are important things to know
Filing a trademark application is a very important deal for your brand. You cannot take it lightly as a single mistake in the filing process, will hand you the rejection. You then have to refile the application, which will again require time, money and extra effort. Thus, below are few important things that you must follow, during filing for trademark application –
Doing a Trademark Search:
To help you develop a unique and correct mark, the trademark search is important. It helps you find all the similar or identical marks present in the trademark office list. It also helps you know identical trademark applications currently with trademark office and there status. Thus, you can avoid them choosing by mistake and hence avoid the office action and infringement cases later.
Filing it with TM office:
After the TM search, you need to find the class of trademarks under which you will file the trademark application. The trademark class describes the goods/service your mark belongs to. You need to sign certain documents along with fees payment at TM office of your region to officially file your trademark application. You also get a trademark application number after the filing, keep it safe and use it for future references.
Application scrutiny at TM office:
After receiving your application the trademark office assigns an examiner to examine your application. It may take around a year to fully examine your application. In case your application doesn’t matches with the requirements of TM office, you will receive an objection from examiner. Common grounds of objection are using similar trademark, incorrect draft, etc.
Dealing with Trademark Objection:
Don’t worry when you receive objection, it doesn’t mean now your application is null and void. Along with objection, you also receive the reasons for it, and an opportunity to explain your point of view. Here you need to explain, why you should be given trademark registration despite such objection. You can add the evidences, and proofs to support your answers.
Trademark Hearing:
There may be a case that examiner isn’t satisfied with your response to the objection. In such cases, a hearing takes place, here you again need to explain your claims and wait for the final result. If it goes in favor of you, the trademark is accepted. Else it will get rejected and you again have to develop a new mark and file for it.
Final Registration Certificate:
After the hearing, if no objection comes from the general public on your trademark upon infringing their trademark rights. Then, you finally get your trademark accepted, and you get a certificate for it.
Whom you need to choose for trademark filing?
Trademark filing has the potential to take your brand to new heights. However, if you don’t do it correctly you will end up choosing a wrong trademark. This will invite the infringement cases for you in future. Thus the name of your brand will go down in the market. Further, if the filing process is not accurate, there will be objections which will demand your resources to solve it. Thus, it is important to take a professional help. And we “Patent Paralegal Force” stand by your side at every step of trademark filing.
We are team of fully experienced patent and trademark professionals working with state of the art tools. Clients are foremost for us, hence your desires are our commitments, tell us and you will have it. The price we ask is what we give to you, so don’t worry about it. You can read more about services here.
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