Owning a business in this day and age means protecting your Intellectual Property. This usually falls, among other things, like properly filing and defending your trademarks and copyrights. There are several differences surrounding trademarks and copyrights that every business owner should be made aware of. These include:
Do Trademarks and Copyrights Protect The Same Thing?
Trademarks offer protection to the actual brand name like logos and similar items relating to a company’s overall branding (Think Nike). On the other hand, copyrights protect different types of your intellectual property; these usually include books, movies, and songs. Most entities want to utilize either a trademark or copyright, and some require having both for the most protection of your hard work.
What if My Business Isn’t Big Enough To File A Trademark Or Copyright?
When filing a trademark or copyright, it is not imperative to hire an attorney to do so. However, it is in your best interest to obtain an Intellectual Property Attorney that can ensure you file the paperwork correctly and take all steps necessary when conducting trademark searches, filling out the application correctly, and choosing the unique trademark name. The protection also extends to the security of your trademark or copyright when you do hire an attorney so that they can be implemented to defend your trademark or copyright to protect your rights. The attorneys at Enara Law can advise you on the different types of infringement in question and what can be done about it, also conducting cease and desist letters or filing a suit. Enara Law is here to guide you through the protection process.
What Are The Costs That Are Associated With A Trademark & Copyright?
It does indeed cost money to conduct searches, properly prepare, and file registration fees between filing fees and attorneys’ fees. However, defending your brand against the infringement of your intellectual property will cost even more significantly if you didn’t register it or did so improperly. Enara Law has implemented a flat-fee model that gives your pricing upfront with no hidden fees to obtain you a trademark or copyright. We have done away with the unknown “attorney fees” and retainers you see at your traditional law firms. You are making your investment as seamless as possible to begin protecting your company’s Intellectual Property.
Be Proactive And Keep Up With Your Maintenance Filings
Your trademark may be issued through the federal government, but it is up to you to check if an infringement is occurring and if you would like to take legal action or not within the confines of your trademark. Doing so is as easy as searching the internet for possible infringement practices.
A trademark owner should submit one other thing: maintenance filings and the fees associated between years 5 & 6 after the registration, between 9 & 10 after registration, and every ten years after that. To submit these filings, you have to be able to demonstrate that you are still using the trademark to sell the goods and services identified in your registration for proof through the government’s eyes.
Contact Enara Law PLLC today. We both file and litigate trademarks and copyrights, which gives you a unique perspective and adds protection when operating your business for years to come. Give us a call today at (602) 87-2010 or email us at [email protected] we are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.