Session 18 with Kevin Houchin, Do It Yourself Marketing Teleseminar Series Wrap-Up
March 10th, 2009
Comments
Session 18: Kevin Houchin, Trademark Law for Creative Businesses
- Trademarks are where creativity and branding interact with the law
- Trademark law protects the investment you have put into creating a distinctive brand
- You can’t protect an idea, you can protect what you have already done with that idea
- Take a look at naming/branding options before you get started and move forward with a new brand, product or service
- Your name is a great one if you can hand your business card to someone and they don’t have to ask what you do
- The stronger your trademark, the more you will spend in marketing to make the connection and the more it will protect you
- When researching your naming/branding options, one of the first things you should do is a Google search for the domain name
- Create a bunch of names that have an emotional element, then create domain names that are relevant to them
- A Google search will turn up about 90% of the trademark issues that might arise with your name or mark
- Next step, USPTO.gov and search trademark database — don’t skip this step!
- Think of the “TM” as staking your claim that this is your brand
- If you are doing your own Trademark Application, plan to block off a full hour of confusion
- Or better yet, if you are doing your own Trademark Application, plan to block off a full AFTERNOON of confusion
(All notes taken from my Twitter feed @AllisonNazarian and tagged with #DIY09)
Learn more about Kevin Houchin here.
