How to Get the Trademark Sign in Your Name
A trademark is a type of intellectual property used by an individual or group (often businesses) to identify themselves. It can be an identifying symbol, slogan, sign, word, phrase or collection of such images and letters. Trademarks are often used as a call sign to foster brand recognition so that customers will quickly equate the symbol with their goods or services. The rightsholder to a certain trademark can use the symbol ™ to identify a certain mark as a trademark, and can also register the trademark to display the symbol ® (registered trademark).
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Instructions
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Conduct a trademark search to find out if anyone else is using the name you wish to trademark (see Resources).
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Begin using the the unregistered trademark symbol, ™, by the name you wish to establish a trademark for. The ™ symbol is basically an announcement that you claim the right to use a certain trademark. You do not need any special registration to use it. Many individuals and businesses prefer to use ™ rather than registering names and symbols since registration costs money, and certain symbols, especially ones that are elaborate or localized, are unlikely to be infringed.
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Register the name to further protect your trademark. Trademarks can be registered by filling out an application and submitting a registration fee of around $325, depending on your filing method. (Online filing is cheaper.) After you register a trademark, you can use the symbol ® instead of ™.
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Use the ™ symbol even if you made a name or symbol without checking for similar trademarks first. It is best to check for similar trademarks before deciding on a company name and starting to use the ™ symbol, but you can use it even if you never bothered to check. If there is a company with an identical or similar name, your trademark will probably not be attacked unless the other company's trademark is registered and the trademarks overlap significantly in geographic usage.
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Tips & Warnings
If you only plan to use a trademark in a localized area, it will likely not come under attack for infringement, so registration is not as important.
