Trademarks
A distinguishing trademark or service mark is essential to the success of any product or service. Trademarks are the way by which companies build consumer confidence and trust. Not only do similar trademarks confuse consumers in the marketplace they also serve to significantly dilute the strength of a company’s brand.
Often, emerging companies and entrepreneurs with limited financial resources delay clearing and securing trademark or service mark rights. Unfortunately the delay sometimes leads to discovering that the marks are not protectable or worse, the marks infringe the rights of senior users, which may result in an injunction against further use, loss of profits, loss of any consumer goodwill established to date, and loss of the initial capital investment in developing the brand. That is why it is imperative that trademark rights are a top concern and priority of any new venture.
“As a business owner and wife of an entrepreneur I can understand and appreciate the need to limit spending when undertaking a new venture, but as an attorney I know the potential risks associated with not clearing and securing trademark rights makes doing so an absolutely necessary expense.”
Attorney Leslie A. Burgk provides clients in the U.S. and abroad counsel in:
- Trademark searches
- Filing and prosecution of state and U.S. Federal trademark applications
- Filing and prosecution of international trademark applications under the Madrid Protocol
- Filing of trademark registrations with U.S. Customs
- Proper usage of trademarks
- IP Audits and portfolio management
- Trademark assignments and licensing
- Infringement analysis
- Trademark domain name disputes
- Policing and enforcement of trademark rights, including counterfeit seizures
- Federal court litigation and opposition and cancellation proceedings before the Trademark Trial & Appeal Board