A company’s trademarks may well be its most valuable assets.  A business must guard against those who may seek to profit on the goodwill of those brands, whether intentionally or not.

Brand protection begins with selecting a strong trademark that no one else is already using for the same or similar products or services. Then registering that mark helps the owner to shield against unauthorized use.

Not all chosen trademarks can be registered.  Some marks are too similar to marks owned by others and used in the same field.  Others are too generic or descriptive of products or services.  For example, the US Patent and Trademark Office will reject an orchard owner’s generic Apple trademark, but a computer company was able to register and protect that mark.  A trademark attorney can advise whether a mark is a good candidate for USPTO registration.

A registered trademark owner must file with the USPTO every few years to maintain protections.  Calendars are highly recommended.

Our firm is available to aid in every aspect of this process.

Take-Away:  

Hire a qualified trademark attorney to help choose, register and maintain strong trademarks with the proper, timely USPTO filings.

For further information, please contact Tim Bowles, Cindy Bamforth or Helena Kobrin.

See also:

• The Annals of Trademark Number 3: Selecting a Trademark Part 2 Distinctiveness (November 4, 2014)
• The Annals of Trademark Number 2: Selecting a Mark Part 1 (October 24, 2014)
• The Annals of Trademark Number 1: What is a Trademark? (October 16, 2014)

Helena Kobrin
August 14, 2025