WHAT IS TRADE MARK ?

A trademark is any word, phrase, symbol, design, or a combination of these things that identifies your goods or services. It’s how customers recognize you in the marketplace and distinguish you from your competitors. A trademark provides legal protection for your brand and helps you guard against counterfeiting and fraud. You become a trademark owner as soon as you start using your trademark with your goods or services, but those rights are limited to the geographic area in which you’re providing your goods or services. If you want stronger, nationwide rights, you’ll need to apply to register your trademark. You can use the symbols “TM” for goods or “SM” for services even if you haven’t filed an application to register your trademark, and once you register your trademark with the USPTO, use an ® with the trademark.