The Trademark Process

Recently, I have had a lot of people ask me about the trademark registration process.  It can be confusing so this blog will explain the process. The first thing to know is what can be trademarked. Typical things businesses trademark are the name, logo, or a slogan. But you can trademark other things that identify your business, including a specific color you use on all your packaging. For example, Tiffany has trademarked its signature blue color. A trademark protects your brand so when you are considering trademarking something, you should think about what represents your brand. You can trademark more Read More

Immoral or Scandalous Trademarks

Did you know that not every trademark is accepted for registration? For example, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will not register a mark that it considers “immoral” or “scandalous.” Of course, times have changed since that statutory provision took effect more than one hundred years ago. What do we do now about words that might have offended then but have become practically common vernacular now? Last week, the US Supreme Court agreed to hear oral arguments concerning the issue of the mark FUCT, which designer Mark Brunetti has been trying to register for more than a decade. Read More