What Is A Trademark and Why Do I Need One?

• A "trademark" is any word, design, logo, symbol, or combination of these used by a person or company as a "source identifier."  In other words, think of your trademark as your brand, which help customers differentiate "your" products from those of your competitors. 

• For example, "Soler Legal” is our trademark (brand) for the services we offer to our clients.  The bottom line is that trademarks function to identify and differentiate your products from those of your competitors. 

• The good news is that you are permitted to file for a trademark BEFORE or AFTER you actually start your business and BEFORE or AFTER you actually start selling products or services. 

• Trademarks cover any type of business or service you provide in any industry. For example, artists, singers, and entertainers can file trademarks to protect their names, stage-names, and aliases from unauthorized use. In addition to protecting your business name and brand, trademark may also protect smells, packaging, and much more.

  Here’s the bottom line:

• You've worked hard to build your business and to provide quality products and services, so why let competitors and other businesses benefit from your hard work by allowing them to use a name, brand, or logo that is the same or similar to yours?  This will confuse your customers.

• By registering your trademark, you take an important step towards protecting your business name, brand, or logo and you place competitors "on notice" that the name, brand, and logo belongs to you and your company and cannot be used by others. 

• Trademark registration gives you many protections, including the ability to aggressively enforce the rights you have in your name, brand, and logo.