Miami is known for its beaches and night-life. But it is also home to notable trademarks.
Images: www.uspto.gov
Burger King is headquartered in Miami. It was founded in 1953 and now has over 17,000 restaurants in 100 countries. Burger King also owns over 25 trademarks for its logo, phrase, and name.
The company seems to have reverted to their original style and away from the more modern logo that they used in the last 20 years. They are now using the logo with just the hamburger bun bread and the words Burger King inside, as opposed to the logo with the blue streak.
Images: www.uspto.gov
The Miami Heat were founded in 1988. The NBA team has about 11 live trademarks but their logo has always been a variation of a basketball with flames going through a hoop.
What is a trademark?
A trademark is “a word, phrase, symbol, or design, or a combination thereof that identifies and distinguishes the source of goods of one party from those of others.” In other words, a trademark is used to differentiate a particular company among competitors.
Trademark protections help to ensure that the intellectual property and creative rights of its creator are not stolen by someone else. The owner of a registered trademark can sue someone else who copies their exact or even similar mark.
How do I get a trademark?
Before you register for a trademark with the United States Patent & Trademark Office, you should conduct a clearance search. It is important to make sure that the mark that you are trying to register is not already owned/used by someone else. The other user could sue you and your application could be denied. Thus, the clearance search is due diligence that can save time and money.
It is important to note that a mere Google search is not enough. An experienced attorney can uncover “similar” marks based on experience and resources. Just because you did not find the exact match on Google, that does not mean that your application won’t be denied for having a mark that is too similar to another.
After conducting a clearance search, you can file an application to register your mark with the USPTO. You will need an attorney to file the application if you are not currently living in the United States. However, there are benefits of having an attorney represent you even if you are currently living in the U.S. Lawyers can avoid certain mistakes and pitfalls on the trademark application. It may seem like a simple application but failure to accurately complete it can result in refusals and delays. That corresponds to loss revenue.
Importance of Trademark
A registered trademark has two major benefits. First, a registered trademark can save a business owner money on legal fees in the future. A registered trademark establishes certain presumptions in a lawsuit that would otherwise have to be established by a party to the lawsuit. The more work it takes to establish a presumption means the more money you have to pay an attorney to establish that presumption for you. A trademark helps to skip that step and therefore helps to avoid extra money you would have to pay your lawyer at a trial. Moreover, the due diligence search helps reduce the risk of being sued for infringing on another brand.
The second major benefit to having a trademark is that a proprietor and their business can more efficiently expand their brand. The USPTO will not grant registration if a mark is too similar to another mark. That means that you might not be able to expand your business into a new category if you do not register the name/design and someone else does. For example, if you do not register your marketing company's name and someone else registers the same name for an SEO platform, you could be prevented from using that name for your future SEO platform.
Conclusion
In conclusion, enrolling in the Amazon Brand Registry and having a trademark saves proprietors on legal fees, and allows businesses to expand into other markets with more efficiency. Registration for a trademark is simple and efficient. If you need advice on how to properly obtain a trademark, please contact Miami trademark attorney at MDGR LAW.
Melissa D. Goolsarran Ramnauth, Esq. is a trademark and business attorney. She writes articles on trademark law. She also writes weekly articles on West Indian history and politics to raise awareness of the past, and educate the Caribbean diaspora on the need for legal contracts and trademarks. You can view these articles at www.westindiandiplomacy.com.
She graduated magna cum laude from the University of Miami with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, a minor degree in History that focused on the slavery and indentured servitude eras, a minor degree in Criminology, and a Juris Doctor degree.
MDGR Law, P.A.
(754) 800-4481
melissa@mdgrlaw.com
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