.png)
.png)
Every brand has a unique identity. In addition to the quality of service, trademarks help people recognize and trust a brand and its goods and services. Trademarks help to maintain the relationship between a brand and its customers by making it stand unique. Since trademarks are important for a brand or business, one should learn how to make their trademark accountable after registering under (United States Patent and Trademark Office).
This blog will help you know everything about effectively maintaining the accountability of your trademark.
Registering a trademark for your business is a time-consuming and meticulous process. From choosing the filing basis to submitting the application, every step must be handled with care. Before submission, make sure that your application is free from technical errors and that your trademark does not resemble an existing mark. If your application is complete and meets all requirements, the trademark office will approve it accordingly. Trademark registration may take several months to years, and it is impossible to predict the exact time for approval. However, we can take steps to ensure that our trademark is unique and less likely to face objections before filing it with the office. After registration, it is important to maintain accountability by monitoring the progress of your trademark. The trademark office also requires timely responses from the owner if any issues arise during examination. Failure to reply within the given period may result in rejection of the application.
Trademark renewal is an important part of maintaining accountability for your trademark. Trademarks safeguard your brand’s identity, including your company’s name, logo, slogans, and more, while preventing others from using or copying them without consent. To keep a trademark valid over time, it must be renewed at regular intervals. Once filed, a trademark is valid for ten years and should be renewed after every five or six years. Therefore, tracking your trademark’s renewal date is essential, as failing to renew it within the required timeframe may result in the cancellation of your trademark rights.
People always believe in quality goods and services. As we discussed earlier, a trademark helps people recognize and remember a brand for a prolonged period. To achieve customer satisfaction, a brand should provide the quality promised while registering its trademark. Failing to provide such quality and attempting to deceive consumers will become a problem in maintaining the accountability of your trademark. So, always try to deliver the promised quality to consumers at any cost.
We can represent our trademark in different ways. Symbols like TM, SM, and R are used to indicate trademarks. However, where to use what? The symbol TM can be used for a brand, no matter whether it is registered or not. It denotes that the brand’s owner owns the trademark. The symbol SR (Service Mark) is exactly like the TM, but it denotes the services provided by a brand.
Brands that have officially registered their trademarks may use the ® symbol to signify their legal ownership of the mark. Using the proper symbol for your trademark is crucial to uphold its validity. For instance, using ® for an unregistered trademark is considered a criminal offense.
After successfully registering your trademark, there is one more thing to pay attention to. You must consistently check whether any third parties have used your trademark. Trademarks continuously used by other parties or trademarks that have more similarities with the trademarks of other brands will not maintain their accountability for a prolonged period. So, proper research before choosing a trademark is recommended to avoid similarities with other brands. It’s quite an important point to be kept in mind while taking accountability of your trademark.
Trademark owners can apply for trademarks on their own, track the progress, renew their registrations, etc., on their own. However, researching to check the availability of the trademark, filing the application without any errors, remembering the renewal dates, checking for the reusability of your marks, etc., might seem hectic while focusing on your business. So, decide whether you are accomplishing the entire process of trademark registration and tracking the progress on your own or seeking legal help from trademark attorneys or lawyers to walk you through the process.
Trademarks help your business and brand significantly to keep your identity stand out from the others. Maintaining your trademark’s accountability for an extended period requires the effort mentioned above. You can follow the above-listed practices and keep your trademark accountable without stressing out much. It is not that difficult to keep your mark active. All you need is consistency and effort to protect your brand’s trademark.