As you establish a venture, one crucial step you must do is naming your company. Yet this process can lead you right into the trademark infringement landmine. No matter what the size of your business, there’s always a risk each time you name a product, brand, service and even your company. To save yourself from troubles in the future, there are some steps you must take to guard your company against trademark infringement.

With the increasing number of trade names, it is important that you take certain steps to reduce the risk of trademark infringement. A trademark is a word, phrase, icon or design or combination of these that distinguishes you from other companies, service providers, brands or products. To protect yourself from trademark infringement, there are three steps you have to do to secure your company: trademark search, trademark registration and trademark maintenance.

One thing you must bear in mind when creating a name for your brand or company is to ensure that it is not being used by another registered company. For instance, you can use search engines like Google, Yahoo or any local search engine to know if there is another business entity that is already using the prospect name for your company.

Another thing you must do is to conduct a common law trademark search, and this includes searching databases, directories and other sources. To reduce the weight of your job in finding similar company names, you may opt to hire a trademark search service. If you are sure that there are no identical names as yours, the next thing to do is to register your trade name so other companies won’t get the same name as well.

Filing a trademark application is the most crucial step in acquiring protection for your trademark. Moreover, names which have identical or confusingly akin versions to an already registered trademark might run the risk of infringement. Hence, there is a need in maintaining or upholding your registered trade name as your business progresses. To do this, you can apply the name on brochures, invoices, websites and other materials. You may also find it necessary to meet with a trademark attorney regularly to fully protect your company from trademark infringement.

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