Beware of Official-y Correspondence



Once you get that trademark filed be aware that your information is of public record, which means, unfortunately, some will mine that resource & some of those folks will send you solicitations. 

These solicitations often look very official, and "may use names that resemble the USPTO name, including, for example, one or more of the terms "United States," “U.S.,” "Trademark," "Patent," "Registration," "Office," or "Agency."  

Some will even have documents that resemble actual government documents rather than what you'd expect a company to send and this is often done by "emphasizing official government data like the USPTO application serial number, the registration number, the International Class(es), filing dates, and other information that is publicly available from USPTO records."

Most of these are asking you for money. That's your major warning flag.

"All official correspondence will be from the “United States Patent and Trademark Office” in Alexandria, VA, and if by e-mail, specifically from the domain “@uspto.gov.”

If you did receive something that you're not too sure about go ahead and forward it to me - shannon at tmexpress dot com - and I can confirm if it's official or not.

Read more about what the USPTO has to say about this here.


IP Webinar Series: December 9-11th





"The Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will co-host a free webinar series to help business owners understand the intellectual property process, starting on Tuesday, December 9.

Register today!


This three-part webinar series will provide participants with insightful tips for success on getting a patent or registering a trademark or copyright."
The trademark webinar takes place on December 11th, 1pm-2pm EST. Register here.
I'll be there so "see" you on-line!

Hello Again!


It's been awhile but we are back! And as Mr. Waving Turtle up there indicates it has taken me a bit to get back here to the old blog watering hole (or wherever turtles congregate so I may continue the metaphor) but I'm here and ready to go so let's talk trademarks!

If you've got a topic you'd like addressed please comment and I'll be sure to tackle it in a future post. 

For today, I'll assemble a greatest hits list. This will provide a good overview of trademarks as a whole. You can also search the blog if you're looking for something more specific. And if nothing pops up then leave me a hey I wanna hear about this note in the comment section.

Trademarks - A Quick Introduction

- Aww, my 3rd post ever. It's an oldie but goodie. Plenty of basic info here.

What is a Trademark?

- What it is.

What is NOT a Trademark?

- What it isn't.

What's the deal with the © ® ™ symbols?

- While my Seinfeld-ian homage may have fallen flat the info in the post is gold, Jerry! Gold!

Is it Possible to Search my Trademark for Free?

- Spoiler Alert! It ain't but finding out why is handy to know.

What is a Trademark Search?

- aka what does it mean when a search is comprehensive?

Do You Need a Registered Trademark?

- Maybe. Maybe not. Read on to find out.

How to Know When to Trademark your Logo

- Got a cool logo? You may want to think about protecting it.

Trademark a Name and Logo: Together or Separate?

- The filing costs shouldn't be your only consideration here.

Brainstorming Tips for Creating a Business Name

- You've got the business but don't know what the heck to call it. Check out this post for some tips.

Starting a Business Series

- For many, many posts I wrote up on starting business in all kinds of different industries and included general business start-up knowledge to more specifics, such as associations, books, and articles. 

Trademark 101: What is a Trademark?

Source Welcome to the first day of class! Before we get into the nitty gritty of trademarks, let’s go back to the beginning. And the be...