TRADEMARKS

As a form of intellectual property, trademarks have some unique features. They function at the core of your business, and the legal structures supporting trademark systems reflect that centrality.

TRADEMARK LAW

A few key principles underlie the provisions of trademark law in all countries and regions.

• • Trademarks can be registered or unregistered.
  • To be registrable, a mark must be distinctive enough to help consumers understand that the products or services come from one source and not another.
  • Trademark registrations can be renewed indefinitely; that is, a trademark can have legal protection forever. (Not true for patents or copyrights).
  • Owning a trademark is not the right to use the mark. It is the right to exclude others from using the mark.

TRADEMARK LAWYERS

The terms “trademark attorney” and “trademark lawyer” are not interchangeable. To add to the confusion, these two professional designations mean different things in different countries.

We believe that even for straightforward tasks like selecting a trademark and filing trademark applications, your lawyer’s experience and education in areas like litigation, legal reasoning, and civil court procedure will give you value that exceeds the extra cost.