How To Trademark and Copyright Your Music

A new artist thinks up a cool name for himself. The 1st thing he should search for is to make sure no other company/artist is using that name already & how he can legally be the only person to gain a profit from that name. It’s called a trademark. Anyone can get a trademark. Just go to US Patents & Trademarks Office online, uspto.gov. If no one has the name you want trademarked then you can apply there. The fee is about $325.

Click to read more ...

Trademarking & You

As you embark in business you will encounter a number of new terms that you may or may not be familiar with. Don’t worry! Paperkrow is here to make sure you understand what these services are, and to perform them for you!

Here we will briefly discuss the trademark to give you a basic overview and understanding of what it is.

As defined by the U.S. Patent and Trade Office website, a trademark is “a word, phrase, symbol or design, or a combination thereof, that identifies and distinguishes the source of the goods of one party from those of others.” What on earth does that mean? It means that trademarks are used to protect the names and logos of products. For example, the name Nike is trademarked. Nike’s ever-present Swoosh logo? Also trademarked. In addition to product names and logos, trademarks are also used to protect key words or phrases. For example, Nike has even trademarked their famous slogan “Just Do it.”

Click to read more ...

Protecting Your Stage Name

“Why do I need a service mark?” you ask. Well, for many of you, a registered service mark will be one of the most important things you possess as an artist. You want to protect and own your rap name don’t you Parrapa? Of course you do! Then, you need a service mark! Why is it so important that you register your name? Because you don’t want anyone to grab it. You put a lot of work into coming up with you name, and it is your brand and identity. As we’ve mentioned elsewhere on this site, your brand is very important. Don’t just take our word for it. Ask a few famous people in hip-hop how crucial owning the rights to your rap name can be. Platinum star and uber talented artist Soulja Boy can tell ‘em a thing or two about it. The world renowned DJ Drama is also familiar.

Click to read more ...