Can I Trademark My Business Name?
I am asked this question a lot, and despite the more complex inquiry that it can take to get to this answer, I will save you from that and provide some guidance: in short - yes you can. A trader should trademark a business name because it provides the right to exclusive use, added protection from competitors, increased value of brand and goodwill as well as adding value to the business itself.
It is a common misconception that registering a business name is a good way to prevent others from using that name. Trademark registration is a relatively inexpensive and effective way to achieve protection of your business name. Upon registration, trademark owners are afforded a bundle of rights relating to ways in which they can use the mark to the exclusion of others. This includes the right to exclusively use the mark in foreign countries to brand your goods or services, license or assign it as well as the right to take legal action against other traders whom make unauthorized use of your mark.
Step 1: Check whether the name you’re looking to use is already in use.
This can be done through a series of searches by a trademark professional to see if another trader is using this trademark.
Step 2: Ensure that your trademark meets the eligibility requirements
A trademark must have three things:
it must be a sign (i.e. a word, phrase, letter, number, sound, smell, shape, logo, picture or packaging your business uses to represent its products and/or services);
it must be used (or have an intention for use) in trade and commerce; and
is capable to, and does, distinguish your product from another.
Your trademark is something that is able to distinguish a product from something else (e.g. a word like Audi – this is referred to as a ‘word mark’) or a ‘device mark’ is a logo or some sort of graphical representation (e.g. the NBA logo).
This means if your trademark uses commonly used descriptive terms, phrases or images it may not be accepted for registration. Signs such as words or images, which are ordinarily used to indicate the kind, quality, quantity, intended purpose, value, geographical origin (e.g. ‘Banana‘ for drinks or ‘Warm’ for heaters) will be difficult to register as trademarks.
Step 3: Pick the right class
There are 34 goods classes and 11 service classes. You need to nominate one or more appropriate classes for your trademark. This is an important decision to make because competitors can use your trademark in other classes that you have not occupied. As there is a fee for each class registration, it is important to enlist the assistance of a trademark professional.
Step 4: Ensure your trademark is filed in the name of the correct legal entity
A trademark needs to be used by the registered owner or an authorized user. There are several traps and technicalities related to use that can affect the validity of your trademark.
There is no doubt that trademarking is an asset to sustaining the ownership of a brand and its power to generate public identity; therefore, it is very important to speak to expert on these issues to maintain the ownership rights that are expected.