Indianapolis Trademark Lawyers

What is a Trademark?

A trademark protects your business’s intellectual property. This could include slogans, business names, shapes, catchphrases, brand colors, and company names.

Intellectual property is one of the most vital assets a business has. Intellectual property is a set of intangible assets by original creators, companies, and owners of inventions via ideas, designs, inventions, and creative expressions.

Not only does having a trademark set you apart from your competition in the marketplace, but it also affords you legal protection from anyone stealing your trademark or name for financial gain, media attention, and more without your consent or approval.

Additionally, an official trademark gives you national recognition and affords you national reach, as opposed to local reach when it’s legally protected.

You might recognize some of these well-known companies with a trademark:

• Apple
• McDonald’s
• Dolce & Gabbana
• Nike
• Coca-Cola

Our trademark lawyers with Katie Charleston Law, P.C. can help you better understand trademarks as a viable option for your business entity. We also can review if a trademark or another form of intellectual property, as part of your overall business strategy, makes sense for your long-term goals.

What Happens If I Don’t File for a Trademark?

If you don’t file for a trademark and protect your intellectual property, another person or business is free to use your idea, design, or invention for possible financial gain.

In this digital age, idea and creative theft are running rampant. It’s easier now more than ever for people and companies to steal ideas and assets with legal contracts in place.

You are not required to file a trademark or protect your creative rights, though you will not own your name or brand and, therefore, do not have any legal rights to it. Along the same lines, if you don’t register your trademark, you will only have rights within your specific geography or local area in which you operate.

Once our business attorneys have helped confirm a trademark is right for your business, we can help you file and manage your trademark. 

The steps to registering look something like this:

• Apply on the uspto.gov site
• Submit your application
• Work with an assigned USPTO attorney
• Obtain approval or a denial of your application
• Maintain your registration

At a glance, the process might look simple, though there are several nuisances involved.

The process of filing a trademark includes legal proceedings with strict procedures and deadlines, so the help of our trademark lawyers to facilitate the process with uspto.gov could make sense for your business.

How Long Does A Trademark Last?

The quickest answer to that question is 10 years. But as with many legal things, it’s not quite that simple. The tenth anniversary of a trademark is when the trademark’s owner needs to prove to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) that the mark is still in use. That’s an important distinction from things like patents and copyrights, which expire on their own after certain periods of time.

Have a question? Speak with a skilled trademark lawyer in Indianapolis at Katie Charleston Law, PC. Call (463) 287-6731 or complete our online form for a consultation.