Los Angeles, California Businesses Use Cohn Legal for Trademark Services

* Cohn Legal, PLLC is not located in Los Angeles and yet it can assist businesses from California in registering a federal Trademark because trademarks are governed under federal law.

Cohn Legal, PLLC specializes in intellectual property protection and corporate law for startups, entrepreneurs, and small business owners. Serving clients in Los Angeles, California, our trademark attorneys absolutely love helping companies protect their brand names and logos. On the most fundamental level, our goal is to provide our clients with exceptional legal guidance and support at cost-effective rates.

Top 6 Questions Los Angeles Businesses Have About Obtaining a Trademark

Am I required to hire a U.S.-licensed attorney to represent me at the USPTO?

If you’re a trademark applicant or registrant located within the United States or its territories, you actually don’t need to be represented by an attorney. You can deal with the USPTO yourself. However, the USPTO does strongly recommend that all trademark registrants hire a U.S.-licensed attorney to help guide them through the trademark application process.

If you are a trademark applicant located in a country outside of the United States, then you are required to be represented at the USPTO by an attorney who is licensed to practice law in the United States.

How can a trademark attorney help me enforce my trademark rights?

A trademark attorney can help you enforce your trademark rights in many ways. First of all, a trademark attorney can help you file a trademark application completely and correctly so that you get your mark registered as soon as possible.

Secondly, your attorney can monitor the market for anyone who may be infringing on your mark. If someone is infringing on your mark, then your attorney can provide counsel and represent you in court. An attorney can also help ensure that your trademark renewal applications are filed on time so that you never lose your mark.

Will the USPTO let me know if a third party is infringing on my registered trademark?

The USPTO does not take responsibility for policing instances of trademark infringement. If they did that, then they would have to keep track of millions of trademarks, which is unfeasible. The only role of the USPTO is to register your mark at the federal level. It is entirely your responsibility as the owner of the trademark to scan the market for infringement and take legal action when necessary. Most trademark attorneys, including Cohn Legal, offer trademark monitoring services and will alert you when possible infringement occurs and provide advice on how to handle it.

What is the USPTO’s Trademark Trial and Appeal Board?

The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) exists to help resolve conflicts among trademark owners in these instances:

• A third-party believes your existing or pending trademark is harming their business and should be cancelled.
• You want to appeal an examining attorney’s decision to reject your trademark application.
• You want to challenge a third party’s existing trademark or pending trademark.

All of these proceedings have specific procedures and strict deadlines that must be adhered to. Your best bet is to hire a trademark attorney to represent you.

When should I register my trademark?

As soon as you have an idea for a name, logo, design, etc., then contact a trademark attorney to start the trademark registration process. This process will help reveal if any other business owner has already registered something similar to what your desired trademark is. If it turns out that the mark you want is already taken, it can be frustrating. But it’s better to find out sooner rather than later. Once you know you have a unique trademark, then you can invest with confidence.

What should I register first: my business name or my logo?

Any experienced trademark attorney will tell you to register all of your trademarks at the same time using separate applications. Some business owners try to save money by registering just the logo if it contains the name of their business. However, that may backfire because if you ever want to change the design of your logo, then you risk losing protection for the name of your business as well. When in doubt, consult with a trademark attorney who can advise you on an appropriate trademark strategy.

Additional Information on Trademark Registration for Los Angeles Businesses

Businesses in Los Angeles are constantly growing and shifting. As old businesses leave the area, new ones come in just as quickly. If you’re looking to take advantage of the business opportunities in Los Angeles, then be sure you register your trademark early on in the process. An experienced trademark attorney will guide you through the entire process, from registering a new trademark to protecting your trademark from infringement down the line.

Consider this scenario: Lonnie is a personal trainer. He’s been seeing private clients in their homes for years, but now wants to open his own training facility. He finds a perfect storefront in West Hollywood. He decides to name his new gym Hollywood Health Hero.

Lonnie is aware that there’s a larger gym chain in the region that calls themselves Health-Heroes. But he figures that the names aren’t exactly the same and he’s such a small operation, that it really doesn’t matter. Unfortunately, Lonnie is wrong.

Word of Lonnie’s gym made it back to the fitness chain’s headquarters. Customers who are signing contracts with Hollywood Health Hero think that they can also access the gyms owned by Health-Heroes. In short, customers are confused because the names are so similar.

HealthMasters registered their trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office about 10 years ago. So, they are well within their rights to send a cease-and-desist letter to Lonnie. Now, Lonnie needs to change the name of his business, his branding, his merchandise, website, and store signage. He even plastered his logo on the side of his van, so that will need to be changed as well. This will cost Lonnie thousands of dollars and set him back for months.

Lonnie should have consulted with a trademark attorney prior to investing so much money into his business. The trademark attorney would have certainly advised him to choose a new name that was more unique in the market.

The important of registering your trademark cannot be overstated. Your brand is the most important part of your business, so it must be protected. Contact the attorneys at Cohn Legal for a complimentary trademark consultation. We specialize in startups and have a cost-effective fee structure.

Trademarks Services for Los Angeles Businesses

• Trademark Search Services
• Trademark Application Filing
• Trademark Infringement Defense
• Trademark a Name
• Trademark a Phrase
• Trademark Cease and Desist Letters
• Trademark Office Action Response
• Trademark Abandonment