Considering the Implications & 商标和商标注册的好处，当形成你的业务- 2014年1月

by Kristen R. Jurjevich.

In forming a new business (whether an LLC, Corporation, etc.), 焦点往往在于企业的名称是否通过了国家企业委员会(SCC)的审核。. However, 在SCC注册企业仅仅是赋予一个人以特定名称在该特定州开展业务的权利. 如果你有兴趣在你的企业或品牌的商品或亚洲博彩平台排名，你的企业提供的标志, 你可能想要建立一个商标或亚洲博彩平台排名标志，与你的企业的商品或亚洲博彩平台排名相关联.

A trademark is a word, phrase, symbol, design, 或其组合，以识别和区分您的商品与他人提供的类似或相同的商品. [2] A service mark is the same as a trademark, 除了它标识了亚洲博彩平台排名的来源而不是商品. [3] 商标或亚洲博彩平台排名标志可能与您的企业名称相同，也可能不同. However, 在SCC注册企业名称不符合商标使用的条件, 也不意味着您已经获得了您所选择名称的商标权. Furthermore, 即使你以一个特定的名字在SCC成功注册做生意, 如果另一方认为与他们的商标存在混淆的可能性，试图阻止你使用企业名称，这不能作为辩护.

Thus, as a practical matter, 你应该考虑到其他人可能会对与你打算成立的企业名称相似的商标主张权利的可能性. Before forming your business, 首先对其他业务进行彻底的搜索是值得努力的, brands, 或者可能与您打算用于您的业务的名称相似的商标. If there are none, 你应该考虑是否要注册自己的商标, possibly using the name of your business or a different mark, to brand your goods or services.

你可以仅仅基于在商业中使用商标来确立对商标的权利. 这有时被称为“普通法”商标或亚洲博彩平台排名商标. 通常你会看到一个品牌或标识后面的“TM”(商标)或“SM”(亚洲博彩平台排名标志)，这些商标或标识不是联邦注册的，就是正在等待联邦注册的. 你的普通法商标将在你使用该商标的地区受到保护. Some states offer trademark registration; however, 州登记通常只在州内提供权利.

Once you’ve established a mark to use with your business, 您可以选择在美国专利商标局(USPTO)注册您的商标。, 哪个比普通法或国家注册商标提供更多的保护. Federally registered marks are often designated by the ® symbol. Federal registration comes with several benefits, including (1) a legal presumption that you own the mark, and you have exclusive rights to use the mark nationwide on or in connection with the goods/services listed in the registration; (2) the ability to bring an action for infringement concerning the mark in federal court; (3) statutory protection, including the ability to recover statutory damages and attorney's fees for infringement; [4] (4) the ability to record the registration with the U.S. Customs and Boarder Protection Service to prevent importation of infringing foreign goods; (5) The use of the us registration as a basis to obtain registration in foreign countries; (6) listing in the USPTO databases and the right to use the federal registration symbol ®.

If you decide to establish a trademark to use with your business, and further decide to federally register such mark, keep in mind that not every mark is registrable with the USPTO. 如果一个商标可能与另一个已注册或待注册的商标混淆，美国专利商标局将不予注册. Furthermore, 美国专利商标局不会注册仅仅是描述性或通用的商标, unless the mark has, over time, 获得一定程度的显著性，使消费者将商标与你的商品或亚洲博彩平台排名联系起来.

For more detailed information on trademarks, service marks, and federal registration, including the registration process, 请参阅保护您的商标:通过联邦注册增强您的权利[5] or you may contact Kristen R. Jurjevich at Pender & Coward about registering a trademark for you or your business.