Here’s a question I get more often than you’d think, usually from clients who make a part that ends up buried inside someone else’s (or their own) larger product: If my trademark is only used on a component that lives…
When filing a U.S. trademark application based on a foreign application or registration, whether under Section 44 of the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property or through the Madrid Protocol, a common question arises: Do the goods and…
Having personally worked with a venture capital firm in the past few years, I’ve come to understand that VC firms handle marketing in different ways. Some are totally indifferent or disinterested. Some endlessly promote themselves. Some seek to market both…
If you own a registered trademark, you have already taken the most important step toward protecting your brand. However, trademark registration is not a final destination. You have to monitor your trademark to stop infringement, keep it from becoming diluted,…
When filing a U.S. trademark application or maintaining an existing registration, applicants and owners must meet specific identification requirements. One requirement that is a subtle trap for novice filers is the domicile address requirement. Examiners are trained to search and…
There are several different types of trademark applications. US trademark applications can be based on foreign trademark applications or registrations, and they can be based entirely on domestic use. An in-use trademark application is probably what most people think of…
Family offices today operate far beyond quiet wealth management. Many build or acquire operating companies, launch investment vehicles, establish philanthropic programs, sponsor funds, or offer advisory services that place them squarely in the public eye. As these activities grow, one…
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is largely protected from the government shutdown but is not immune from other plans that have been brewing for a long time. In my circle, there has been a lot of talk about…
At the start of this year, the Trademark Office began requiring that all new applications be filed with Trademark Center. Trademark Center replaced mostly trustworthy TEAS filing system that has been in place for many years. TEAS is still the…
I’ve previously written about trademark maintenance scams, both here and here. As a trademark owner, you have a responsibility to maintain or renew your trademark periodically after your mark registers at the Trademark Office. If you use or used a…