Do you wish to trademark a slogan? To protect your intellectual property, read this complete instruction on how to trademark a phrase.
Table of Contents
A Step-by-Step Guide to Registering a Slogan
A slogan is a term or phrase that seeks to identify a certain product or business in a way that sets it apart from the competition. Slogans serve one of two purposes: they are part of a campaign to sell a product or service for a monetary value, or they are designed to amuse or irritate people.
The first step in determining how to trademark a phrase is to determine where your slogan falls on the spectrum. Anything that is generic, informative, or does not relate the customer to a particular corporate brand will be ineligible for trademark protection.
Bumper stickers and t-shirts meant to entertain people (“I’m with stupid”) are not permitted to be trademarked, but phrases that quickly drive someone’s thoughts to a corporation (“Just do it”) are.
Once you feel you have a legitimate phrase that will not mislead customers when utilised commercially, you must register for a trademark online. The application procedure starts with a search for comparable trademarks in your sector.
To do this, the government has built a search engine on its website called Trademark Electronic Search System (“TESS”). The database is a fantastic place to start your study, but trademarked slogans may still be in use, either registered at the state level or unregistered, that you will be unable to use.
Having an expert trademark attorney assist you with this phase of the procedure will not only save you money from having your claim rejected due to inadequate research, but will also aid in future legal action. Trademarking a phrase not only protects it from being used by other comparable firms, but it also prevents a company from inadvertently infringing on an existing logo after it has been authorised by the government.
A slogan is a term or phrase that seeks to identify a certain product or business in a way that sets it apart from the competition. Slogans serve one of two purposes: they are part of a campaign to sell a product or service for a monetary value, or they are designed to amuse or irritate people.
The first step in determining how to trademark a phrase is to determine where your slogan falls on the spectrum. Anything that is generic, informative, or does not relate the customer to a particular corporate brand will be ineligible for trademark protection.
Bumper stickers and t-shirts meant to entertain people (“I’m with stupid”) are not permitted to be trademarked, but phrases that quickly drive someone’s thoughts to a corporation (“Just do it”) are.
Once you feel you have a legitimate phrase that will not mislead customers when utilised commercially, you must register for a trademark online. The application procedure starts with a search for comparable trademarks in your sector.
To do this, the government has built a search engine on its website called Trademark Electronic Search System (“TESS”). The database is a fantastic place to start your study, but trademarked slogans may still be in use, either registered at the state level or unregistered, that you will be unable to use.
Having an attorney assist you with this phase of the procedure can not only save you money from having your trademark rejected due to inadequate research, but will also aid in future legal action.
Trademarking a phrase not only protects it from being used by other comparable firms, but it also prevents a company from inadvertently infringing on an existing logo after it has been authorised by the government.