Did you know...
The trademark of COCA-COLA®, first registered in 1893, is worth approximately $44.1 billion?

What is a trademark?
A trademark is a unique word or design that represents the brand name or brand identity of your product or service. The brand identity of a product is called a trademark, and the brand name of a service is called a service mark. A trademark is a valuable tool that helps customers easily distinguish your product from those of your competitors.

You should know that the trade name of your company does not function as a trademark. However, The Dummit Law Firm can help you take certain steps to make the name of your company function as a service mark.

You can also acquire rights to:

• A unique overall appearance of the interior layout and design style of a restaurant
• A unique, non-functional design of the packaging used for your product
• The unique color of your product if consumers associate that color only with your product
• A unique sound that is used in used in connection with your product or service.

Why register your trademark?
Your trademark represents your brand identity and the valuable goodwill that customers associate with your product or service. Registering your trademark can protect your brand identity for as long as the mark is used in commerce and maintenance fees and other procedural requirements are followed. Your mark, the brand name or design logo associated with your product or service, is the symbol of your hard work, skill, and the quality of your product or service. Your mark is an important business tool that enhances the value of your product or service.

If another company or individual tries to use a mark that is confusingly similar to yours, there are major benefits to having registered your mark. Registering a trademark enables you to stop the other company from using your mark. If the other party willfully uses your registered mark without your permission, you are entitled to three times more in monetary damages than if you hadn't registered your mark.

We can help!
The experienced attorneys at The Dummit Law Firm are there for you from the very beginning. We can advise you in choosing a mark that would not cause competitors to question your right to use or register the mark. We can assure you that we are not only successful in obtaining registrations, but once your mark is registered, The Dummit Law Firm will keep track of all maintenance deadlines and send notifications to you when action must be taken.

We recommend you register your trademark as soon as you have chosen a brand name or logo. The first step is a comprehensive search of several databases, including the US Patent and Trademark Office, to ensure that no one has already applied for or registered the mark you want to use.

It can be disappointing to find your chosen mark is already registered to someone else, but on the bright side, this knowledge can help you avoid potential lawsuits and save money. You certainly don't want to build up an entire company only to have to change your brand name or logo because another company registered it first, or find yourself being sued for trademark infringement!

Once we've determined there are no conflicts, your attorney at The Dummit Law Firm will file applications on your behalf to register your trademark. We will file your application with the US Patent & Trademark Office in Washington, DC, along with any foreign country of your choice and the Community Trade Mark for registration in the European Union. If you don't want to provide this service we can delete this part.

Consultation Services

Consultation - FREE, call now 1.800.433.2686 or e-mail jgreen@nclawyer.com

Screening Searches - review of online databases

• Word mark screening search - $200
• Design (logo) screening search - $200
• Combination word and design screening search - $375
  • Includes:
    • Federal Database Search
    • State Database Search
    • Internet Name Databases
    • Common Law Databases

• US Patent & Trademark Office - $199*
• Community Trade Mark - European Union - $500
• Foreign countries - $500

• Complete Search AND filing with US Patent & Trademark Office - $475*

How to register your trademark

Step 1 - Read and agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Statement

Click the "Read Terms & Conditions and Privacy Statement" button below. A new window will open with our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Statement. After reading the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Statement, click the "Print" button at the bottom of the page so you have a copy for your records.

Click the "Agree" button at the bottom of the window to indicate that you have read the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Statement. The window will close and you can continue with the links below.

Clicking this button does not mean that you have hired The Dummit Law Firm. It does mean that you have read the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Statement and agree that they will apply if you decide to hire us.

If you click the "Disagree" button, you will not be able to continue to Step 2.

- Terms & Conditions and Privacy Statement

Step 2 - Use our fast and simple IP Ordering System

With this form you can order trademark searches and copyright applications. Services available on this form have a fixed price. Prices quoted on this form include all communication with you for this service and administrative costs such as copying, delivering to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office or the Copyright Office of the Library of Congress. You may submit this form online with your credit card payment via our secure server or print it and mail it with your payment by check, money order, or credit card.

Forms you may submit electronically through the IP ordering system:

• Basic Information Questionnaire
  • Is this trademark sought by a business or individual?
    • If owned by a business, please give:
    • Name of business
    • Type of incorporation - LLC, Partnership, etc.
    • State of incorporation
  • Your name - last, first, middle initial
  • Your contact information
    • Address
    • Telephone - home and business
    • E-mail address
    • Fax (optional)
    • Website (optional)
  • Your trademark - give the name or phrase *required
    • Upload logo in .gif or .jpg format
  • Notes
    • Please provide a list of all the goods and/or services that you plan to offer associated with your trademark. Please include any notes, comments, or other information that might help us to search and register your trademark *required
  • Date of first use (or have an "intend to use" option)
  • Date of first use in interstate commerce (or have an "intend to use" option)

Step 3 - Fill Out Necessary Forms

Here are some forms you may need:

• Certificate of Confidentiality
  • This form states explicitly that all correspondence between us is confidential, including any information you provide about your property. Print this and keep it for your records.
• Retainer Agreement
  • If our work for you is not ordered through our online IP Ordering System, you will need to print this page, fill it out, sign it, and send it to us via snail mail or delivery service.
• Power of Attorney - link to form in .pdf
  • Before we can represent you before the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office or a court of law, and before we can sign any documents on your behalf, you need to print this Power of Attorney form, fill it out, and have your signature notarized before sending it to us.