Following up on my What’s the Difference Between a Trademark, a Copyright, and a Patent? blog post, someone asked, “Do I automatically get copyright protection when I create something?” And the short answer is yes – sort of. Automatic Protection In the United States, copyright protection attaches automatically to original […]
Clients often want to know how long it takes to register a trademark. The short answer is that it can take anywhere from a few months to several years. The good news is that many of the variables affecting how long it takes for a trademark application to mature to […]
You see them all the time, ™ © ®, but what do they mean? Let’s start with the © symbol since it’s not like the other two. The © symbol is part of a statutory copyright notice pursuant to 17 U.S.C.§ 401(b)(1). Prior to March 1, 1989, copyright notices were […]
Oftentimes, the first step in starting a new business is coming up with a name. Not just any name, but a name that uniquely identifies your business. If that name is already someone else’s trademark, that could have serious consequences for you and your business. Not only could consumers get […]
I’m often asked, ‘When should I apply to register my business name as a trademark?’ Like with buying real estate, the best time was yesterday; the second-best time is today. That’s because trademark rights are based on priority of continuous use, and the sooner you register your trademark, the earlier […]
Many business owners are confused about the differences between trademarks, copyrights, and patents. Understanding how each works is the first step toward creating and protecting your intellectual property portfolio. What’s a Trademark? A trademark is the most common, and often the most useful, intellectual property right that small and medium-sized […]