Why You Should Trademark Your Business Name

The name of your company may be your most important business asset!

There are a number of benefits associated with registering a trademark. These include:

• The exclusive right to use the symbol, slogan, logo, or image in connection with the goods or services listed in the trademark registration

• A presumption of ownership in the entire United States

• The ability to obtain trademarks (and the accompanying trademark protections) in other countries

• Protection under the federal Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act

• The ability to request the assistance of the United States Customs and Border Protection Agency to confiscated goods imported into the US that bear your trademark falsely or bear a substantially similar trademark designed to appear to be your trademark

• The ability to litigate trademark infringement in federal court, rather than state court

In sum, a registered trademark gives you the exclusive right to use your business name nationwide in connection with the goods and services you’ve identified in your registration, and allows you to enforce your trademark by filing a lawsuit in federal court. Those are strong protections, but it will be up to you to monitor unauthorized uses of your name and take steps to stop them.