Kelly will be co-hosting a complimentary estate and retirement planning seminar with Joe Roseman, Jr. Managing Partner, who will be talking about retirement, at the Morrison Regional Library.
Sign up today!
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*Determine if a TRUST is right for YOU
*Avoid the most common mistakes retirees make with their estate plan
*Reduce future costs and taxes for your FAMILY 
*Understand how to avoid letting the NURSING HOME take your house
*Discover powerful retirement and estate strategies you never knew existed

RSVP using this link:
https://workshops.retireversity.org/jr-ep-2018-11-8  

#estateplanning

​A trademark is a “word, phrase, symbol and/or design” that identifies and distinguishes the goods or services of the owner of the mark from another party.  Examples include brand names, slogans, tag lines, logos, and design elements (think, Tiffany blue boxes).  In order to get a federal, registered trademark, the mark has to be used in commerce, so normally the owner of the mark is a business or business owner.  Someone can apply for a trademark before the mark is used in commerce if the owner intends to use it in commerce, but the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) will not register the trademark until the applicant shows that it is actually being used.  Trademarks don’t expire, as long as the mark continues to be used in commerce and the owner files periodic documentation with the USPTO.   
 
The trademark application process is fairly simple, but actually obtaining the trademark can be quite tricky.  Not only does the applicant have to worry about the application being denied because the mark is too similar to another in a similar industry (“likelihood of confusion” according to the USPTO), but the applicant has to worry that the USPTO will deny the application for other grounds such as the trademark being “merely descriptive.”  For example, the name “Northeast Interiors” merely describes the business (interior design in the Northeast).  The strongest trademarks are “fanciful and arbitrary,” meaning they are words that have no relation to the good or service sold (like Apple computers), and the second strongest trademarks are “suggestive” meaning they suggest the good or service without literally describing it (think, Facebook).  Unfortunately, most people name their businesses something that describes them for marketing purposes!  Is marketing more important or trademarking?  This depends on the nature of your business.
 
A business can also have a common law trademark, but there are benefits to federally registering: first, inclusion in the national database deters others from using similar marks in similar industries; second, there is a legal presumption that the registrant owns the mark and was the first to use it, meaning that in a dispute with another, they would be presumed to be the winner.
 
A common law trademark is established simply by a business starting to use the mark in commerce.  The mark should be identified with the ™ symbol.  Only a federally registered trademark can use the ®.  A common law trademark is limited in geographic area, so you could have a competitor business open up with the same name in an entirely different state, as long as you didn’t share customers.  If a competitor opens in your geographic area, you could sue them for trademark infringement if they did damage to your mark.  You would have to prove you were the first to use the mark (unlike having a presumption in federal court).
 
If you’re thinking of trademarking something in your business, give Jesson & Rains a call!

​October is National Women’s Small Business Month. In addition, this year marks the 30th anniversary of H.R. 5050!  H.R. 5050 was the first piece of legislation that was put into place to recognize and assist women business owners.  It had four main components:

• Eliminated the requirement in state laws that women must have a man relative sign a business loan
• Established the Women’s Business Center Program
• Required the U.S. Census Bureau include C corporations when presenting data on women-owned firms
• Creation of the National Women’s Business Council
  
  

Jesson & Rains is proud to represent and work for numerous women-owned businesses.  Charlotte is an exciting place for women entrepreneurs.  The city of Charlotte was recently named #1 City in America For Female-Owned Business Growth, according to this article: http://www.charlottestories.com/charlotte-ranked-1-city-america-female-owned-business-growth/.  In addition, "America now has 11.6 million women-owned businesses that employ almost 9 million people and generate $1.7 trillion in revenue per year."  
 
Our very own Jesson & Rains partner, Kelly Rains Jesson, is a member of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO).  Founded in 1975, NAWBO is “the unified voice  of over 10 million women-owned businesses in the United States representing the fastest growing segment of the economy.”  NAWBO propels women entrepreneurs into economic, social and political spheres of power worldwide.