Trademark Your Business ? Lessons Learned

The small business owners learn many lessons the hard way - through the school of hard blows. Recently, my own experience hard lesson on the importance of brands behalf of my company. Like many independent in a tight budget, the thought of my trademark protection has not been high on my list of priorities. If I put more weight on it, I could have saved me a few moments of anxiety, not to mention a few hundred dollars in legal fees! As a member of a couple of different virtual assistant in member organizations, often with other VA's interest in the names of companies and websites. One day I noticed an ad for a new member of the group and as an entry for the VA Office Solutions. Now, it is a little concerned about the proximity of the house for me - after all, my name is VA Office Solution. He also noted that there was a domain name to match. Have you noticed my first mistake? I could have thrown me not to buy the domain name, http://www.vaofficesolutions.com, which is so close to my own domain name www.vaofficesolution.com. After all, even if some of my own clients inadvertently add an s at the end of work on behalf of my correspondence. Of course, they do not want people looking for my company, and the problem lies elsewhere on the Internet! This can be very confusing for both parties, including the operating companies and conduct our business virtually, to work with people across the country. Well, the first thing I did was a bit of research in this domain name. I was able to find the owner, and that the name was recently purchased and has only been purchased for a period of one year. That told me it was a new company, and has just begun to use the name. So the next step was to obtain legal advice. I had met a lawyer who specializes in trademark law in a state case, so it ga a call and asked to meet her. I learned that I definitely had a good case, which I was using the mark since 2001. Even if I had not officially registered trademark with the USPTO (U.S. Patent and Trademark Office), I first use of the mark, which gives me certain rights. After meeting with a lawyer, I decided that my first step should be to present the brand with the USPTO (http://www.uspto.gov). Now, it's something I can do yourself, without having to pay a lawyer, but takes into account my own time and their knowledge, I have decided to leave her for me to cope. In addition, insofar as they must be prepared to a letter brands we are, in my mark had been filed, the only thing he feels more comfortable letting my lawyer write a letter to be effective enough to have violated the laws and rules of the ceasefire agreement to use the mark and take the website. So how is it? Well, I had my mark and this letter to mark the offender. He agreed to stop using the mark and took the region. Overall, the whole process took about three months. I am very lucky, but as I have been able to find this offender shortly after she opened their doors for business. In be done quickly, have not been devastating for his business and had no obvious effect on my business. So what you have to take into consideration when deciding whether to mark the company name? The first thing you should do some research to make sure you're not a violation of other brands. You May be forced to stop using it if it is. If you choose the brand of your business, you must be prepared to enforce its mark. If you allow others to use the mark, and you can deal with neglect and the risk of losing their own brands. You should also consider the issue of domain names. Do not make mistakes and I did let someone else snatch up a domain name corresponding to the mark. Be sure to visit the U. S. Patent and Trademark Office http://www.uspto.gov, then visit my lawyer Heidi Pliam site brand names, trademarks Edge, http://www.trademarkedge.com. And if you're looking for a good trademark lawyer, be sure to call Heidi! Your contact information on the site. Jean Hanson is a certified professional Virtual Assistant. Find out how the partnership with a virtual assistant gives him more time to do things that you love to do! In the http://www.vaofficesolution.com. http://www.vaofficesolution.com. Jean is also the author of the book electronically, virtualize business - http://www.virtualizeyourbiz.com http://www.virtualizeyourbiz.com