Trademark: Legal Care for Your Business & Product Name

by Stephen Fishman

Overview

Protect your valuable brands!

Your brands—your business name, the names of your key products, and your logos, packaging, and slogans—distinguish you from the competition and are among your most valuable assets. Trademark shows you how to use trademarks to protect your brands and avoid infringing on others’ trademarks. So it’s important to choose your marks carefully and protect them vigilantly.

Here, you’ll find the most up-to-date information on how to select and protect a great trademark. Learn how to:

• choose trademarks that distinguish you from competitors
• do a trademark search for marks that might conflict with your own
• register and maintain your mark with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
• leverage your marks in the marketplace
• resolve trademark disputes outside the courtroom, and
• create an Internet presence and secure a domain name.

Includes step-by-step instructions on how to register and maintain a trademark. 

The 14th edition is thoroughly updated to include changes in USPTO systems and practices, the latest laws and court cases, and the newest in DIY trademark tools.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781413332469
Publisher:	NOLO
Publication date:	04/29/2025
Edition description:	14th ed.
Pages:	480
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Stephen Fishman has dedicated his career as an attorney and author to writing useful, authoritative, and recognized guides on business, taxation, and intellectual property matters for small businesses, entrepreneurs, independent contractors, and freelancers. He is the author of 20 books and hundreds of articles, and has been quoted in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, and many other publications. Among his books are Every Landlord’s Tax Deduction Guide, Deduct It! Lower Your Small Business Taxes, and Working for Yourself: Law & Taxes for Independent Contractors, Freelancers & Gig Workers of All Types, published by Nolo. He is a two-time recipient of the Independent Book Publishers Association’s Benjamin Franklin Award.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1. A Trademark Primer 2. Trademark, Domain Names, and the Internet 3. How to Choose a Good Name for Your Business, Product, or Service 4. Trademark Searches—What They Are and Why You Should Do One 5. How to Do Your Own Trademark Search 6. How to Evaluate the Results of Your Trademark Search 7. Federal Trademark Registration 8. How to Use and Care for Your Trademark 9. Evaluating Trademark Strength 10. Sorting Out Trademark Disputes 11. If Someone Infringes Your Mark 12. If Someone Claims That You Infringed a Trademark 13. International Trademark Protection 14. Help Beyond This Book A. International Classifications of Goods and Services B. Glossary of Terms C. Selected Pages From Thomson CompuMark Trademark Research Report Index

Editorial Reviews

"Excellent step-by-step instructions for registering a mark, written in plain English with clear examples." Library Journal

"Searching for a winning business or product name? Or have a distinctive logo or slogan to protect with a trademark or service mark? You will find sound advice in this book." San Francisco Examiner

"Get tips to help you choose and protect a name, logo and other unique items that identify your company." Houston Chronicle

"Trademark, is a complete guide for small businesses and startups on how to choose a business name, how to register for nationwide protection of a trademark, how to secure a domain name, and how to deal with infringing use by others. The book is a field leveler for a startup, contractor, or a small business owner who wants to expand. It provides easy-to-understand instructions for most common legal branding issues. " sirreadalot.org

Author Comments: The key to business success in the 21st century is branding—creating a business persona that attracts and retains customers. Trademarks are the legal foundation for branding. Trademark law allows a business to get exclusive advantages within an industry and to pursue copycats. This book is a field leveler for a startup, contractor, or a small business owner who wants to expand. It provides easy-to-understand, step-by-step instructions for most common legal branding issues.

From the Publisher