An average consumer has an attention span of 8 seconds. How do you get your brand noticed in those 8 seconds?

BY AN ATTENTION-GRABBING LOGO.

And how do you make sure that your brand’s Logo is safe and secure?

BY TRADEMARKING YOUR BRAND’S LOGO.

Brand, Logo & Trademark: The Trivial Connection

Your brand is important and so is your brand’s logo. Your customers use your logo to identify your brand from the crowd. Your brand’s logo is what builds your brand’s market reputation and unique identity of your brand.

So before we understand the step-by-step procedure to Trademark a logo, let’s see why trademarking your logo is worth it.

 Let’s put it straight; a logo is both a foundation and a stepping stone for your brand’s identity. A logo:

• Attracts the target audience’s attention to your brand.
• Acts as proof of your professionalism and authenticates your brand’s products or services.
• Distinguish you from the competition and helps the customers to remember your brand.

Is Trademark A Compulsory Requirement For Companies/Brands?  

Technically, No. A trademark is not mandatory for a brand’s logo. So, I don’t need to trademark my logo, right? Why should I waste so much money and time on trademarking a logo? Here is why:

But a logo is your brand’s first impression.

• A logo is what conveys your message to the audience and ultimately converts them into a loyal customer base.
• A logo is one of the key factors that will sustain your brand in the market for a long time.

Otherwise, it takes no time for competitors to take over and send your brand into exile? Why so?

• Because you have no attractive or meaningful logo
• You are not telling a story to the customers
• Even if you have a logo, you have not trademarked it making it easier for competitors to infringe upon your logo.

                                  Now, what is infringement?

Suppose your business/brand has an eye-catching logo that perfectly sets you apart from the other competitors.

What if someone tries to sell their goods/services using the same or similar logo? How will you prevent your logo from being infringement?

BY TRADEMARKING Your LOGO.

How Do I Trademark A Logo?  

Logos are design marks that can be trademarked to get:

• Trademark rights in order to the usage of the mark
• Power to sue infringers

Here is a step-by-step procedure to trademark a logo:

1. Assess Your Trademark

Here are the 3 key factors on the basis of which you must examine your logo.

2. Perform A Trademark Search

To ensure there are no similar or identical logos in the market (whether registered or unregistered), you will need to perform a Trademark Search that should be:

• Comprehensive (covering all the trademarks, including unregistered and expired ones)
• Particular (in terms of industry or sector)

 Can I Skip Trademark Search Before Registration?

Never miss a trademark search because it may cause:

• Rejection of trademark application by the registrar.
• Series of opposition claims from other brands/companies if your trademark is similar to theirs
• Wastage of resources (time & money) in dealing with opposition proceedings.

Suppose you can invest your resources in building a brand and registering a logo. In that case, it’s only fair to invest a small amount in performing a comprehensive and effective trademark search to make sure the logo is available for trademark registration and not taken already.

How To Perform A Trademark Search? 

 It’s always advisable to hire a professional IP firm to conduct a trademark search because:

There are lakhs of registered, unregistered, and expired trademarks in the market. Conducting a trademark search by yourself means you may end up missing some or a lot of them.

Professionals have premium tools and techniques to perform the most effective trademark searches.

Can I Do A Trademark Search For Free?

Here are 5 free tools to perform a trademark search for free.

But, free tools often do not cover all the trademarks, making it difficult for you later on. So, even if you use these free tools, make sure you hire a professional and experienced company to be 100% sure.

The post Trademarking A Logo: Step-By-Step Procedure appeared first on TMReady (Formerly The Trademark Search Company).