Why trademark your business name?

Securing a trademark for your business name is an essential step if you want brand protection.

In a world of stiff competition with unscrupulous copycats and counterfeiters, you can’t afford to leave your brand vulnerable by not registering a trademark.

Here are 5 benefits of trademarking your business name.

1. You can use the registered trademark ® symbol!

With a trademark registration, you are legally entitled to display the registered trademark symbol – ® – and signal to the world that you are committed to protecting your brand: “Beware of the owner”.

2. You secure powerful, national exclusivity

A registered trademark ensures that you have the exclusive right to use your trademark for the goods and services it covers in the UK (and other countries where you have a trademark registration). You can stop competitors from using an identical or closely-matching brand for similar goods or services to yours!

3. A trademark registration empowers you to protect your brand

If a copycat imitates your business, it could be extremely difficult to prove that they are passing off similar goods or causing confusion amongst consumers, if you don’t trademark your business name.

You would have to prove that you have built up a reputation or ‘goodwill’ before you can challenge your competitor. Building a reputation could take years and compiling the evidence to support your argument could be very expensive in terms of both time and money.

But with a trademark registration you can bypass this hurdle. It is proof that you have the right to exclusive use of your trademark in the UK and any other countries where it’s registered.

4. Trademark registrations can save you legal headaches

In most cases, it is much less costly to take action against a copycat who uses your trademark without permission, if you have a trademark registration. You can take action for trademark infringement. In our article, ‘Why trademarks are important for brand protection’, we showed an example of how a small business’s trademark acted as a scarecrow and the corporate copycat backed down and settled privately, rather than risking an expensive court case.

5. A trademark is a business asset

A trademark registration shows that you view your brand as an investment that’s worth protecting.

There’s a good chance that your trademark could be your most valuable business asset! Like any asset,  you can put a price tag on it and buy or sell a trademark registration. You can also license your trademark to others and make money from it.

A registered trademark is an investment in your brand. You can find out more in this article: ‘How much does it cost to trademark your business name?’

In a nutshell, a trademark safeguards your brand’s exclusivity across the nation. Without a trademark registration, your business is vulnerable! Anyone could copy your success or imitate your business name.

Trademark Planet makes protecting your brand hassle-free and lightning-fast.