In the U.S., trademark law regulates registered and unregistered trademarks. It also regulates service marks, although service marks have less legal authority. Trademark law protects the creator of a unique phrase, design, image, word, name, or logo so that other legal entities cannot use them.
Registered and Unregistered Trademarks
Trademark law honors unregistered trademarks as well as those that are registered. Registered trademarks are designated by an R with a circle around it. Unregistered trademarks are designated by a TM.
Even though they have not been registered, common law trademarks are enforceable. They do not, however, offer the exact same level of protection as those that are registered.
Differences in Trademark Law for Registered and Unregistered Trademarks
Trademark law gives more authority to registered trademarks. For instance, a company that uses a registered trademark can prevent anyone else from using it regardless of where they are located. Unregistered trademarks, however, only prevent other companies from using logos, phrases, or designs when they are in within certain geographic boundaries.
Trademark law also makes it much easier for those who register to protect themselves from infringement.
Legal Services for Trademark Law
Trademark law might seem easy to some. After all, you do not even have to register your logo to get basic infringement protection from the court system. Once you begin looking at the intricacies of trademark law, though, you might see why so many organizations choose to hire lawyers that specialize in trademarks.
When you choose a law firm that offers expert legal services for trademark law, you give yourself the ultimate level of protection. If you plan to register your trademark, then you will want to find a law firm that offers you all of the filing services that you might need. This makes the process easier for you and ensures that it is done properly so that there is
never any question about your product’s trademark.
For more information about trademark application and trademark offices visit Aplegal.com.
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David Done specializes in promoting websites for highly competitive terms like Washington law firms.
