5 tips to get 100% out of your trademark

You want your business to be successful and provide you with a living doing what you love.We at Bonamark.com understand that getting a trademark is not the most important task you have and that you do not have time to go through all those legal books, articles and FAQ’s.

But ignoring your trademark protection or making mistakes when applying for your trademark might destroy your business’s future. You can’t imagine how many cunning villains are after your trademark, among those:

• Amazon hijackers - they will hijack your listings and destroy your sales and reputation.
• Trademark trolls - not as famous as patent trolls, those will steal your trademark and then try to sue or blackmail you.
• Competitors - they want you to stop selling your products and they will use all means to make sure you are out of business.

You probably do not know a lot about trademarks, but that’s OK. We are here to help you get 100% out of your trademarks.

1. Without any further delay, here are our top 5 recommendations to get the most out of your trademark:
2. When applying for your first trademark, make sure that you file it as a wordmark unless you absolutely have to file it with a logo. Wordmarks have the broadest scope of protection and if you have a wordmark you will be able to use it as a part of any logo. Filed logos must be used exactly as they are filed.
3. File your trademark in foreign countries at least a year before you start using your trademark there. The process can take up to 18 months in some countries and you don’t want to realize that your trademark can’t be registered AFTER you started selling and promoting your brand abroad.
4. When coming up with a new trademark, choose a strong one. Weak trademarks are very difficult to enforce and can be unregistrable in some countries. Get more details here: link.
5. You can find a cheaper attorney, you can save on your filing fees, but trying to save on a trademark search might backfire. This can result in applying for an unavailable trademark. You can get a detailed trademark study at Bonamark for just $99 in the EU, which is just 7% of the filing price and it may save you thousands in the long run.
6. Let’s say you sell wooden chairs and metal tables and want to get your trademark protected. While adding only those items to the description of your trademark is technically correct, your trademark will protect a very limited number of products. You don’t have to be overspecific. Chairs are furniture, right? Why not add furniture to the description? This will cover all types of furniture you might want to produce in the future.

Following those 5 recommendations will make sure that your brand gets the protection it deserves - and you won’t have to worry about your trademark for the next 5-10 years. Your strong, properly protected international trademark will keep potential infringers at bay and it won’t cost you an extra dime!