What is a Trademark?

​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!