Trademarks 101€¦ · · 2014-05-23Non-IP Practitioner. Francine D. Ward, Esq. Business | Intellectual Property Law Attorney . [email protected]. 1 ... Who Owns a Trademark?

Trademarks 101 An overview for the Non-IP Practitioner

Francine D. Ward, Esq. Business | Intellectual Property Law Attorney

[email protected]

1Copyright 2011 Francine Ward. All Rights Reserved.

http://www.fwardattorney.com/

Agenda

Copyright 2011 Francine Ward. All Rights Reserved.

1. What is a trademark2. How to select a trademark3. How to protect your trademark4. Post-registrations MUST-DOs

2

What is a Trademark


Some thing (a device) used, or intended to be used, in commerce, which identifies and distinguishes the goods of one manufacturer or seller from goods manufactured or

sold by someone else.

3

Trademark vs. Copyright


Brand name / source identifier.

************Content.

Legal protection for original content reduced to a tangible format, e.g., books, web content, videos,

cartoon, html code, sculptures, software

4

What [Device] Can Be Protected by Trademark?

Copyright 2011 Francine Ward. All Rights Reserved.5

Copyright 2011 Francine Ward. All Rights Reserved. 6

Device Examples

Words Huggies, Duracel, OWN

Names Tiger Woods, Donald Trump Signature Collection, The Oprah Winfrey Network

Symbols the Peacock for NBC network,

Sounds doink doink sound on the television show Law & Order, NBC Chimes

Colors color pink used in fiberglass insulation products (Owens Corning)

Logos Stylized blue clock (Quicktime)

Package designs Distinctive bottles (Coca Cola)

Smells Fragrant sewing thread & yarn

Numbers V-8 for vegetable juice, Seagram’s 7 for whisky

FOUR Types of Trademarks

1. Trademarks2. Service Marks3. Collective Marks4. Certification Marks


Types of Trademarks - Trademarks

1. Trademark2. Service Mark3. Collective Mark4. Certification Mark


Examples of Trademarks

Copyright 2011 Francine Ward. All Rights Reserved.9

http://www.microsoft.com/communicationsserver/r2-virtual-launch/event/

Types of Trademarks – Service Marks



Types of Trademarks – Service Mark

Service Mark


Types of Trademarks – Collective



Types of Trademarks – Collective

Collective Mark


NATIONAL SPEAKERS ASSOCIATION NSA CERTIFIED SPEAKING PROFESSIONAL CSP

AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION

Types of Trademarks -Certification



Types of Trademarks -- Certification

Certification Mark


MASTER CERTIFIED COACH (MCC)

PROFESSIONAL CERTIFIED COACH (PCC)

What is Not Protected by Trademark?1. Ideas 2. Book titles (in some cases)3. Names (in some cases)4. Procedures 5. Methods6. Systems7. Processes8. Inventions9. Plant Strains10. Generic marks


Who Owns a Trademark?

General Rule:In the US, it’s the first to use …

however to really secure trademark protection you must

register with the USPTO.


How long does a Trademark last?


Forever, so long as you renew

every 10-years.

18

Levels of Trademark Protection


Fanciful or Coined

Arbitrary

Suggestive

Generic

Descriptive



Fanciful or Coined

Arbitrary

Suggestive

Generic

Descriptive



Fanciful or Coined

Arbitrary

Suggestive

Generic

Descriptive



Fanciful or Coined

Arbitrary

Suggestive

Generic

Descriptive



Fanciful or Coined

Arbitrary

Suggestive

Generic

Descriptive

How to Protect a Trademark?

USE it in Commerce



Use appropriate

symbol




Monitor it!



Send Cease & Desist Letters

when appropriate


How to Protect Your Trademark?

Don’t involuntarily lose your rights


Involuntary loss


1. Abandonment (no use, plus an intent not to re-use)

2. Contracts (e.g., Licensing, Consulting, Speaker, Reality Show, Publishing, and Collaboration Agreements)

3. Loss of Distinctiveness

4. False statements in your application

5. Misuse of “R” in the circle ®


Don’t let it become generic!


What happens if you become generic?


Thermos

ElevatorAspirin

Yellow Pages “Walking fingers” logo


… almost became Generic, but …

How to Protect Your Trademark?

REGISTER it!

www.uspto.gov


http://www.uspto.gov/


Benefits of USPTO Registration

1. Establishes a public record 2. Receives a Certificate of Registration 3. Right to use your mark nationwide 4. Right to sue for infringement5. Easier to get an international registration6. Right to recover lost profits, treble statutory

damages, court costs, and attorney’s fees.

35

How to Register Your Trademark?


Make initial determination of

classification



Do a THOROUGH Search

What goes into a THOROUGH Search?


1. USPTO TESS system2. All state registration databases3. Library reference materials e.g., Thomas Register4. Trade publications5. Internet search engines6. Business name databases e.g., Dun & Bradstreet7. Telephone books



Analyze the Report carefully

What to look for in the Search Report?


1.Likelihood of Confusion2.How others are using similar mark3.Prior Challenges / Oppositions4.Descriptiveness5.Supplemental or Principle Register



Which application applies

Intent to Use

Actual Use



Read application carefully



Identification of Goods/Services

Acceptable Identification of Goods and Services Manual

http://tess2.uspto.gov/netahtml/tidm.html



Craft an effective description



Submit Specimens



Pay Fee



Follow-up / Status Checks



Respond to Office Actions on time


Post-Registration Actions1. Continued Use2. Monitor3. Oppose when necessary4. File Affidavit of Use (Section 8)5. File Incontestability Statement (Section 15)6. Renew Application (Section 9)7. Enjoy your trademark—forever!

49


Francine D. Ward, Esq.Social Media Legal Expert | Copyright & Trademark Attorney

Helping small business entrepreneurs protect what’s theirs—their valuable content, brand, and business

www.fwardattorney.comwww.twitter.com/francineward

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[email protected]

http://www.fwardattorney.com/

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Documents

Trademarks 101€¦ · · 2014-05-23Non-IP Practitioner. Francine D. Ward, Esq. Business | Intellectual Property Law Attorney . [email protected]. 1 ... Who Owns a Trademark?