Have you recently created a brand for your business? You possibly have a name, logo and maybe even a jingle that no one has ever seen before – everything you need to make yourself unique and stand out.
As a business owner, you want to protect yourself from people who want to copy your brand. Otherwise, interpreters could make a profit or tarnish your name by disguising themselves as your business. This can seriously impact a business and could cause your business to fall apart.
While your brand is likely protected by copyright, a creator’s legal right to manage their original creation, a copyright can only protect your business so much. If you’re looking to take the fullest extent to protect your name, then you may need to create a trademark. Here’s what you should know:
It protects your entire brand identity
A trademark is a “word, phrase, symbol or design that identifies your goods and services” that intends to differentiate your brand from competitors. A trademark additionally gives you the right to use your brand on goods and services and prevents competitors from using your brand.
While a trademark and a copyright sound very similar, there are a few key differences. Mainly, copyrights protect created material like images, songs and writings, which may include your company description, jingle or mascot. While a trademark protects your company’s logo, name and slogans – or other identifying signals that tell customers that something is branded.
Having a trademark means more than just having a say in how your brand is used. You can also take legal measures to protect your brand and prevent others from using it. If you find someone is using your brand for their own profit, you may need to know your legal rights.