So you now have your Logo design completed and are ready to trademark it. For many small business owners, registering a trademark does not seem like a pressing matter - when faced with other important issues such as finding a locale, hiring employees, creating/modifying the business plan, and searching for funding, logo design often gets placed on the bottom of the "to-do" list. What isn't taken into account is the time factor. Registering your Trademark is a very time sensitive task and the filing date assigned to your trademarks registration application can potentially determine:
Whether you have the legal right to stop anyone else from infringing upon your trademark
Whether a third party has the power to literally force you to "close up shop" by judicially restraining you from using a trademark that you had previously believed was legally yours!
In a word: get on it!
It is important not to get too overwhelmed by all of this and to stay positive. Stay focused, organized, and attentive to the details. Most importantly: have fun!
Good Luck!
Tim Liboiron Projects Manager