As we wind down 2013 and start looking towards the holidays, let’s take a moment to review the year in trademarks, shall we?
To date, there have been 300,377* new trademark applications filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for 2013. Were you one of them?
If so, congrats! You’ve taken an important step in protecting one of your most valuable business assets.
If not, what are you waiting for?! As the number above shows, there are over 25,000 applications filed each month, on average, and the year’s not over yet.
As we explain to clients countless times, the first applicant to the USPTO generally gets nationwide priority for use and registration of their trademark, even if you were using the mark first.
You may be able to carve out prior use rights in your corner of the universe, but who wants to be so limited in the growth of their business and brand name?
Filing your trademark as early as possible increases your odds of obtaining federal trademark protection against potential competitors.
Other interesting trademark trends for 2013? Old brands that are new again, celebrity names and sports trademarking, and updates to well-known trademarks and logos, including Yahoo, Wendy’s,American Airlines, and the Miami Dolphins to name a few.
Branding and trademark protection have become increasingly popular over the last few years and we expect these trends to continue well into the new year and beyond.
If you’re still on the fence about trademark registration, it’s time to make a decision for the good of your brand and long term growth of your business.
In closing, we would like to take a moment to say THANK YOU to our loyal customers, colleagues and friends.
Thank you for choosing flatfeetrademark.com to register your brand names and logos, and thank you for inspiring us everyday with your innovative ideas and business concepts.
We are business owners just like you and we understand the drive, passion and sacrifices behind what you do. Happy holidays and best wishes for continued success in 2014!
* USPTO TESS records, December 11, 2013, uspto.gov.
More About This Article
