As a trademark attorney, I’ve noticed a common misconception that I’d like to clear up. Just because you registered your business name with the state and own a domain, it doesn’t mean you have trademark rights. Shocking, I know, but unless you apply for a trademark and your application is accepted, you’re a sitting duck waiting for a competitor to come in and take everything you’ve worked so hard to build.
What does this mean for your company? Well, if someone wants to open a business with a similar name, or similar domain name to yours, they can, and legally you can’t stop them. Then, you’ll have to find a trademark law firm to take your case, and hope and pray that they are successful. On top of that, your competitor can try to steal your customers, and you don’t have a legal recourse. Sound scary? It’s worse than you think.
On top of being able to open a competing business with a similar name, without a trademark, that company could sue YOU for using the name or domain you had first! Even an experienced trademark lawyer might not be able to win your case if your competitor applied for a trademark first. What happens then? Well, you’ll have to start your rebranding campaign, find a social media attorney (ah-em) to redo your sites, and basically start your business again.
Every business should own their business name, domain, and trademark – or else they can be exposed to legal risks, lawsuits, and business interruption. Want to avoid any problems before they start? Let us know!
At The Social Media Law Firm, we’ve helped hundreds of businesses get the trademark protection they need. Now we want to help you. Let our social media lawyer take care of all of the paperwork so you can focus on running your business instead of rebranding. Contact us today to learn more.
