There are lots of potential obstacles you can encounter during the application process of a trademark. These obstacles come in the form of Office Actions from the USPTO. Receiving an Office Action can sometimes, though not always, mean that registration is refused by the Examiner. In this post we’ll discuss one of two major reasons… Continue Reading
Author Archives: Sonia Lakhany
3 Points to Remember When Considering a Trademark Registration Service
Who to Hire? Trademark Attorney or Online Trademark Registration Service As a new solopreneur, it’s a given that your budget is tight and you are cost-sensitive. Of course, as you decide which services you need at each stage of launching your business, legal fees are bound to cause a slight bit of panic. After all,… Continue Reading
Choice Overload: How Do I Choose a Trademark Attorney? (Part 2)
My last post started this two-part series on how to choose a trademark attorney. Previously, we discussed finding potential attorneys through referrals and word of mouth. Once you have a few options, there are some key questions you can ask to help determine the firm that will be the best fit for you and your… Continue Reading
Choice Overload: How Do I Pick a Trademark Attorney? (Part 1)
With all this talk about choosing a name, conducting a clearance search, and understanding the risks involved in trademark registration, I can only imagine how confusing it must all be for the first-time solopreneur. Some things are best left to the experts. Just like you should probably visit a mechanic to fix your car’s transmission,… Continue Reading
Trademark Myths: How to Conduct a Trademark Search
If you’re reading this, chances are I didn’t scare (or bore) you away from the first three posts of this four-part series. You’re a brave soul. Or maybe just really dedicated to ensuring you go about the naming process correctly. You’ve learned about the importance of assessing similarity in marks, why you can’t register a… Continue Reading
Trademark Myths: Can that Name Pass a Trademark Search
Welcome back. If you’re following along, you have determined now that company names, as well as names for products, services, etc., are protected by trademark law. You also know that merely registering with the Secretary of State is not enough to protect your name. So how do you know if you have the right to… Continue Reading
Trademark Myths: I can register a famous name in a different category
Part Two in Our Four-Part Myth-Buster Series In our last post, we began a four-part series on dispelling common myths about determining whether a business has the right to use the name it has chosen. We started with an example about Starbucks and its famous green lettering and logo to illustrate the concept of confusing… Continue Reading
Trademark Myths: How do I know if I have the right to use the name I chose?
A four-part myth-buster series Welcome back. If you’re following my posts, you have determined now that company names, as well as names for products, services, etc., are protected by trademark law. You also know that merely registering with the Secretary of State is not enough to protect your name. So how do you know if… Continue Reading
Why Should a Solopreneur Care About Intellectual Property?
“I’m a Small Business. Why should I worry about intellectual property?” It’s a question I am asked often, especially because many of my clients are solopreneurs, startups, and small businesses. A common school of thought is if a brand hasn’t reached the level of global success that say, Coca-Cola or BMW has, there is no… Continue Reading
Three’s a Crowd: The Triplets of Protecting Your Intellectual Property
If you read my last post, chances are you are now concerned (and maybe a bit scared) that you haven’t filed a trademark for your name, logo, or tag line yet. Good, my work here is done. Just kidding. Before we get into the process of filing a trademark, let’s clarify the three main areas… Continue Reading
