You’ve just came up with a product that is going to be the next best thing since sliced bread, but is your product idea safe from other inventors? Sadly, many people come up with great ideas that get stolen out from under them and then find that the trademark they filed for didn’t go through. What can one do to insure an idea is safe? The greatest protection lies in hiring a trademark attorney.
What Is a Trademark Attorney?
A trademark attorney is an attorney that is qualified to work in trademark law and provide advice on trademark matters. According to an article on wiseGEEK, “A trademark attorney helps ensure that an application is properly registered with the applicable national or international trademark office. During this process, the attorney generally advises his or her client on the probability of the application becoming a registered trademark. Additionally, the attorney usually evaluates whether any risks are involved with adopting a certain slogan, word, or logo. The attorney can also help the client determine whether the potential mark may violate the rights of another person or entity. If the client decides to move forward with pursuing the mark, the attorney files the application and communicates with the trademark office as needed.”
Why Do I Need One?
You may be asking why you need a trademark attorney when you can do the work yourself. The biggest reason is that a trademark attorney specializes in trademarks. In other words, there’s no question as to whether or not the forms will be filled out correctly or filed correctly. Should you fill or file the forms incorrectly, you risk the trademark not holding up, which means someone else could steal your idea.
Can’t I Do This Myself?
Technically, yes. You can get the forms online and file them yourself. You can even go through websites that will sell you the forms and file them for you. However, you risk making mistakes. You have to ask yourself if it’s worth saving a bit of money to risk your paperwork not getting the job done. In other words, do you really want someone else to be able to profit off your idea? If not, hire a trademark attorney.
There are some things you can do yourself that you shouldn’t. If you’re serious about protecting your ideas, you need to hire a trademark attorney, or at least check out some of the info at secureyourtrademark.com to make sure you’re on the right track in finding one. These attorneys are qualified to get your trademark properly filled so that it stands up should someone try to steal your ideas. Spend the money and save yourself the heartache.
Image credit: Wikimedia Commons
