If you are an entrepreneur looking to protect your brand through IP protections, you may ask: should I trademark my logo? If your logo is an incredibly important asset to your brand (which it would be for most), then the answer is yes. Besides your brand name, it is what customers will use to recognize you. When you think of many famous brands such as Apple and Disney, you usually visualize their logo in your head. Protecting your logo from use by others is important in your strategy for protecting your brand.

 

Should I Trademark My Logo?

There are many reasons why you should trademark your logo. Since your logo is used for commercial purposes, a trademark is the way to go. A trademark will solidify you as the legal owner of your logo. It will also allow you to take legal action against others who use it without your permission.  Simply put, the trademark is one of the key pieces that make up your brand, and you should do everything in your power to protect it against use from others.

When you create and use your logo for commercial purposes, you already have some legal protection over it. Applying for and receiving a trademark solidifies this, and makes it known that you are the owner and the party allowed to use the trademarked symbol. The late fashion powerhouse Virgil Abloh built his Off-White streetwear empire on a complex series of trademark filings.

 

How Do You Trademark a Logo?

The first thing you should do before getting a trademark is search for existing trademarks that may be similar to yours. You can do this using USPTO’s Trademark Electronic Search System. After ensuring that your symbol is not already trademarked, you can begin the application process. This will consist of preparing a trademark application that will include details such as personal information and information on the products or services the trademarked logo will represent. 

Once the application is submitted, you can track the progress of the application. If everything looks good, the USPTO will approve your application and will publish your new trademark in a journal to make it official.

Further Reading

Guide to Trademark Search

Can I Trademark That?

Establishing Trademark Protection

 

Download the Free Infographic Below

_________

The Michelson Institute for Intellectual Property, an initiative of the Michelson 20MM Foundation, provides access to empowering IP education for budding inventors and entrepreneurs. Michelson 20MM was founded thanks to the generous support of renowned spinal surgeon Dr. Gary K. Michelson and Alya Michelson. To learn more, visit 20mm.org.