How To Trademark A Logo

A logo is one of your company’s most valuable assets. It conveys your brand identity and delivers your brand’s personality and standards. Assuming the significance of your logo, you should defend it by registering it as a trademark.

Using a trademark logo and name for your company is the initial step in a positive approach to keeping ahead of the curve.

Federal trademark registration with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) provides maximum protection for your logo. This allows you to express your trademark rights anywhere in the United States.

The logo trademark process is simple but can be difficult for some startups. That’s why in this blog post, we will walk you through logo trademark guidelines. In addition to knowing how to trademark a logo effectively, you will also learn what a trademark is. What is trademark registration? Can you register online? Why trademarking your logo is important? 

What Is Trademark?

Trademark protects intellectual property, which is very important for business owners. It can be used to protect your business’s name, designation, and logo. Moreover, protecting your brand’s logo is also very important because creating a custom logo design for your brand involves a lot of time and money. In addition, it is essential to protect your logo design by registering a trademark. This helps prevent others in the industry from misusing or stealing your brand identity.

Find more information about the top industries logos and how they came about!

What Is Trademark Registration? Can You Register Online?

Trademarks registered with the USPTO are the original ones. The process of getting a trademark registration certificate is called the trademark registration process. The certificate of registration obtained serves as proof of trademark ownership. This makes it informal to implement and avoid a violation by depending merely on registration as evidence of trademark rights. Yes, you can trademark the logo online. Whether you create the logo yourself or with the help of a logo design agency, you have your logo.

Why Trademark Your Logo Important?

You invest a lot of effort and money in building your business, so it goes without saying that you want to protect your brand identity. Businesses are not required to trademark logos, but they can further protect their logo. 

Trademarking your logo is an important business decision. 

• It identifies you as the source of the goods or services. 
• It legally protects your brand. 
• It helps prevent copying and fraud.

In the United States, an original and custom logo design is ideally protected by common law once you start using the logo design in your marketing materials. Unluckily, nothing can prevent the competitors from creating akin logos and names.

How To Trademark Your Logo

Now you know what a trademark is, what trademark registration is, and whether you can register it online. The importance of trademarking your logo it’s time knowing how to trademark it effectively. 

Below are some of the important steps that can help you sail across the process.

Design a distinctive logo

To register your logo as a trademark, you must first decide what type of protection you want to respect when choosing your trademark. Of course, not all trademarks can be registered with the USPTO, so choose your trademarks carefully. 

Also, some trademarks may not support your legal claim to prevent others from using a similar logo on related goods or services. Therefore, you need to make sure you have a custom logo design that is distinctive and USPTO approved. To do this, you must perform an exhaustive search of the US Trademark Database to make sure that you have not chosen a logo similar to a registered trademark.

Search the trademark database

Once you’ve finished creating a distinctive and custom logo design and decided on a name for your company, it’s time to ensure there are no more ideas. Before applying for registration of a trademark, first, check whether it can be registered. We encourage you to use the online trademark search tool to search for registered and pending trademarks with the USPTO. Before doing so, remember to ask yourself a simple question: Is my logo similar to any other brand in the industry? If so, try to redesign it and make sure it is unique.

Prepare your logo trademark application

Now that you have designed a unique logo by hiring a logo design agency, you need to prepare a description of the logo and the products or services it applies to. For example, you can check the USPTO handbook of acceptable products and services identification that provides directions on how you can create a description of services and products. 

You should also create your logo image using the dimensions and format specified by the USPTO. 

Your application request may include the following: 

• Applicant information
• Contact information. 
• Choice of a logo. 
• Use of trademark. 
• A class of products and services. 
• A portrayal of the products and services. 

Submit your application

File your trademark application with the USPTO online using the Trademark Electronic Application System. TEAS only costs trademark filing fees. TEAS is available in two different application options, “standard” and “plus.” The difference between the two is simple. The TEAS standard has fewer requirements regarding the date of receipt of the request. On the other hand, TEAS Plus is designed to make things easier for both the applicants and USPTO, often with lower fees. You can do this process yourself, hire a lawyer, or use trusted trademark services online

Be hopeful for approval

Once a trademark application is submitted to the USPTO, it will be looked over by a trademark expert. The time it consumes to process your trademark application depends on the number of applications already in the backlog. 

With more than 2.8 million trademark applications filed in the United States last year, it can sometimes take up to five months to determine if a trademark has been approved or rejected. 

Once your logo is approved, the USPTO will provide guidelines on how to maintain your logo and how to file a complaint. Also, read if you have grounds to complain. The brand extension should also be considered when deciding to use a trademark service.

If your trademark application is rejected, it may be because your logo or trade name is offensive to a national symbol, your logo or trade name looks too similar to other companies, or your brand is too familiar.

Go for a trademark watch

Beware of trademark infringement once your logo is registered as a trademark. This is a continuing process known as Trademark Watch. You can do this on your own or go for professional trademark watch services. Remember that whichever option you decide on, you are ultimately accountable for protecting your brand and its logo.

Wrapping It Up!

So now you have found that federal trademark registration with the USPTO provides better protection for your logo as it safeguards your trademark rights all over the United States. The registration process entails a lot of facts and strictness and is not spontaneously protected against violations. It would be best if you work with a professional trademark services provider to help you register and monitor your trademark logo.