Denver Tech Center Trademark Lawyer
Taking the necessary steps to secure your rights to your logo, brand name, packaging, or slogan is a responsible step for a business owner. Obtaining trademark rights not only protects your intellectual property but also your brand reputation. Given the exceptional benefits, the process of applying for a trademark and obtaining approval is not easy. A Denver Tech Center trademark attorney can give you the legal assistance you need.
Hire a Trademark Attorney With a Dedicated Denver Tech Center Trademark Lawyer
Four Reasons Legal is an innovative and proactive intellectual property law firm in Denver. When you hire a trademark attorney from Four Reasons Legal, you are hiring an IP lawyer with over 15 years of experience representing successful trademark cases. Our founding attorney, Steven Zemanick, works directly with every client we represent to ensure all their needs are met. Our firm’s experience in intellectual property legal matters is unmatched in the Denver Tech Center.
Do You Need a Trademark?
Anyone with a business that has a unique logo, slogan, name, etc., can and should get a trademark. If you are concerned with another company using or misrepresenting your business, name, logo, etc., a trademark can help you protect your interests from being counterfeited or stolen. Once approved, trademark laws can prevent others from profiting from your business’s marks.
Having a trademark also preserves your brand's quality and safeguards your company's reputation. However, the application process can be grueling and stressful. The ease of navigating the process and the likelihood of obtaining trademark rights are significantly improved with the professional legal assistance of a Denver Tech Center trademark attorney.
What Does a Trademark Protect?
A trademark distinguishes a company's products or brand from its competitors. It allows a business to own the legal rights to its logo, product, slogan, etc. If another entity uses the protected rights of another business, that business has the right to take legal action against the other business for the misconduct to recover losses incurred by the infringement.
Applying for Trademark Rights
The application process is complex and multifaceted. It begins with a search for existing trademark rights for your mark that may belong to someone else. This is an important step in the process and must not be taken lightly. A thorough search must exhaust all possibilities of preexisting trademark rights.
It cannot be stressed enough that, again, an experienced Denver Tech Center trademark lawyer can handle this crucial first step. However, the first step should not be made in haste either. This involves identifying the type of mark. Options for category types include:
- word mark
- design mark
- sound mark
- color mark
- shape mark
- combination mark
- motion mark
Before submitting an application for a trademark registration, the classification of the mark must be determined. Sometimes a mark can be categorized into multiple classes. Once these initial steps are verifiably determined, the application must then be prepared. The most important components of the application include specific information about the applicant and an explicit description of the mark or logo image.
Where to Submit a Trademark Application
The completed application must be submitted to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The USPTO accepts applications electronically. Getting this far alone, though, is a rare feat for many applicants. Hiring a Denver Tech Center trademark attorney is essential in expediting this process.
After Submitting the Application
It is imperative that while waiting out the application process, applicants pay close attention to any notifications they receive from the USPTO regarding their trademark application. Sometimes examiners need more information, or if something does not match up, they need to ask for clarification. Applicants havethree months to respond and can request a three-month extension.
An early response is recommended to avoid unforeseen events that could delay the application's timely submission to the agency. Applications in which responses are submitted after the three-month time limit, or the six-month time limit if an extension is granted, are automatically abandoned by the agency. When an application is abandoned, application fees are not refunded, and the trademark is not registered.
Despite the intense effort that goes into submitting the application, the journey to obtaining trademark rights doesn't end with the examiner’s review of the application and the mark in question. The next feat requires the applicant to wait patiently while the mark is published in theUSPTO Official Gazette. This gives third parties the opportunity to contest the applicant's request for rights to marks.
If the publication of the notice proceeds as planned, the applicant is granted a certificate of registration. They then own the rights to use their exclusive trademark to represent their business. It’s still not over, though. Trademark rights must be maintained and re-registered to remain active, and rights owners must stay in good standing with the USPTO to retain their trademarks.
The Timeline for a Trademark Application
Without a Denver Tech Center trademark attorney experienced in handling trademark cases, the time it takes to complete the application process can be prolonged indefinitely. Unfortunately, the number of trademark applications submitted to the USPTO each year exceeds examiners' capacity.
The USPTO has as many as800,000 units of unexamined trademark applications and patent submissions at any given time. An ideal timeframe estimate is around 19.9 months. While the agency is making efforts to improve these numbers, a wide range of factors can affect any given case.
A Denver Tech Center trademark lawyer can be an invaluable resource in circumventing the entire process. Professional legal counsel knows how to navigate the process more quickly and can improve the odds of an application's approval.
Connect With a QualifiedDenver Tech Center Trademark Attorney
Four Reasons Legal is well-versed in trademark laws. Our 15 years of experience with trademark cases make us qualified to meet all your legal trademark needs.Contact our office to learn more about our legal services. Our legal team has the experience and reputation necessary to help you find the solution you need. The sooner you engage our team, the sooner we can begin the process.