November 5, 2012 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.”
How does this pertain to me? Good question! Well, as an aspiring entrepreneur, your brand is very important to you!
What should I consider trademarking: (A few examples)
Your Clothing Line – Many entertainers have their own clothing lines. If you have one, or are considering starting one, you need your name and logo trademarked! Ask rapper T.I., who was sued by a digital video network called Akoo over his clothing line of the same name for infringement. Before you debut your duds, do yourself a favor and contact us.
Your Catch Phrase – Believe it or not, if you have a catchy phrase that you use in your work, you want it trademarked! Entertainers do it all the time and it’s important! Boxing’s staple announcer, Michael Buffer owns the trademark to “Let’s get ready to rumble!” Meanwhile, though the clock on her 15 minutes of fame is approaching 14:59, Paris Hilton still owns the phrase “That’s Hot.” She even got a cash settlement from greeting card giant Hallmark when they tried to use it! That’s not to mention the recent and bizarre battle between R&B heartthrob Trey Songz and one of the stars of the show Storage Wars that went on over the phrase “Yuuup!” Yuuup that happened. One last warning: don’t even dream of saying “Bam!” TV Chef Emeril Legasse might get you! So whether you say “ugh” “uggh” or “ugggh” let us help you own it.
Your Nightclub Name – Hip Hop mogul Jay-Z famously opened his 40/40 Club almost a decade ago now and continues to open more. While the brand has had its issues, it’s still protected! Major League Baseball slugger David Ortiz found this out the hard way when he tried to open his own 40/40 club in his native Dominican Republic. What happened? Jiggaman sued. That being said, don’t open doors on your version of Club Crucial or Club 662 without talking to Paperkrow.
Your Perfume – Perfume is actually one of the biggest side hustles of major entertainers. Just check here for the lengthy list! Everybody from Bruce Willis to Beyonce has one! (Or in Bey’s case several.) You may not be ready to have your own fragrance just yet. But hey, it’s good to know right?
Alright, so now that you now what a trademark is, this is where Paperkrow comes in. We have experience with the trademark process and are standing by to help you out! You really should hire us to trademark your company name and logo right away. I strongly suggest it!
Note: Many people confuse trademarks and servicemarks! Don’t worry, we do both! For an explanation of the difference between a trademark and a servicemark click here.
Reader Comments (2)
This is great information. Branding yourself gives identity to whatever you are doing. People usually identify with a brand.
nice post keep it...
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