Trademarks

What is a trademark? The US Patent Office defines it as:

"A trademark includes any word, name, symbol, or device, or any combination, used, or intended to be used, in commerce to identify and distinguish the goods of one manufacturer or seller from goods manufactured or sold by others, and to indicate the source of the goods. In short, a trademark is a brand name."

Given that, there are a lot of different types of trademarks out there, for names, images, and design just to name a few. If you're launching a company, brand, or product, it's wise to protect it through a trademark registration; this prevents others from infringing on your name.

Types of Trademarks

National: A national trademark applies to only the country of the trademark's origin. For example, if you applied for a trademark in the United States, the same trademark would not apply in Germany.

International: An international trademark, obtained through the Madrid Protocol, is designed to protect intellectual property across international borders.

Community: The Community Trade Mark (CTM) offers the opportunity to protect a trademark in all of the countries of the European Union (EU) by filing a single application.

Trademarks and domain names can complement each other; if you own a trademark on a name, it is helpful to also own the corresponding domain name, and social media usernames, so that people searching for your name on the Internet will easily locate your site.