The Top Ten Reasons Why You Should Care About Trademarks

Trademarks make it easy for consumers to find you. They help you distinguish your products from those of competitors and identify you as the source. They indicate a consistent level of quality for your products and services.

Trademarks help prevent marketplace confusion. They protect the consuming public by preventing confusion as to the source of goods or services. 

Trademarks are among the most economically efficient communication tools. They reduce the costs of decision-making by allowing consumers to rapidly select the desired product from among competitive offerings. 

Trademarks are your most enduring assets. They are one of the few assets that can provide you with a long-term competitive advantage. They appreciate over time, and are leverageable, allowing you to expand into new product lines.

Trademarks support stronger sales volumes, stronger margins, and can provide price maintenance legally. 

Trademarks can make hiring easier. People prefer working for well-known and well-regarded brands and their companies. 

Trademarks can be a bargain. Combined government and attorney fees can be $1,000 and under, and only periodic renewal fees due every 5 to 6 years thereafter. As property assets, they can be appraised, bought and sold, collateralized to secure loans, and licensed.

Trademarks are a very flexible and creative form of intellectual property protection.  They can be visual, auditory, olfactory, taste, or tactile.

Trademarks open the way for businesses to most effectively utilize the internet. They are often the “top of mind” address for an internet user and can drive traffic.

Trademarks are one of the most effective weapons against unfair competition. Properly protected marks can be wielded as a sword or a shield against competitors.

Adapted from the international trademark association (www.inta.org)