Setting up a business requires time and effort on your part and what better way to protect the time and money you have invested on your business than by trademarking the name of your company? What is trademark anyway? This refers to your intellectual property rights on the phrase, word, or even an image that you are using with your company that offers services or goods. This depends on where you are residing at the moment. If you want to trademark your name, the best way to do so is to apply for national registration.

When it comes to trademarking a name in the US and Canada, specific requirements must be met. In the United States and Canada and the rest of the European Union, trademarks are for phases, images and words that are used “in commerce” meaning that they should be used as part of the services or goods being offered by the business. Businesses that are using a phrase, word or image that is not part of their service should not be trademarked at all. The law on trademark doesn’t focus on specific content but on its use. There are no specific rules when it comes to which names are viable for trademarking.

The simplest and easiest way to trademark a name in the United States is to be the one to use it first. However, if your trademark is only locally, other businesses or companies outside of the area can freely use your trademark name without facing any consequences at all. If you want to get exclusive rights to your name then it is best that you apply for national registration. Once your application is granted, no one can use your trademark name without your permission or else they will be facing charges wherever they may be.