How Do You Know If Your Business Needs a Trademark?

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR: Trademark Attorney, Zara Watson. Owner of Zara Watson Law PLLC

Today, I’d like to touch on something that every business owner faces at some point….how do you know if you need a trademark?

If you own or manage a business, you have at least one trademark- the name of your company.

You may have others like product names, service names, logos, or slogans – these are all different trademarks. They are all valuable assets to your brand.

You’ll know that you need a trademark if you are using one of the above “branding elements” to market and advertise your products or services. The reality is that the more you advertise and market your brand, the more likely it is that someone else may copy or steal it to sell their own products and services.

If you’ve fallen in love with your business name, logo, or slogan and plan to use it for years to come, then you’ll need to do everything in your power to secure your rights.

You’ll want to register your trademark so that you can:

Feel secure knowing that you can stop others from copying your brand.
Stop others from benefiting from your advertising and marketing efforts.
Avoid consumer confusion from other “similar” brands.
Appear professional in the eyes of consumers and potential investors.

Oftentimes business owners think that by simply forming their business entity (e.g. an LLC), that they own the rights to their brand. This isn’t the case. In order to protect the various aspects of your brand (business name, logo, slogan, and even product packaging), you have to register your trademark.

If you’re ready to own and protect your trademark, book a discovery with Zara today!