Trademark

[jarvan]

I have a question for all of you who are retail soapers. Do you trademark your brand or just use a name you picked out without the trademark? Is there some sort of rule about trademarking if you are going to do retail? I haven't any aspirations this early in my soaping addiction, but who's to say in the future if I want to sell and if so, I want to use a particular name that doesn't show up on a trademark search. Just curious.

 

[Guest]

Some people do trademark their name , others don't trademark .The trademark is to ensure that no one else can use your name. I have seen it happen that someone has been happily using a name without trademarking it , and someone comes along and trademarks the name .The first user is out of luck and would have to rebrand their product. Tradmarking a name in Canada does not come cheap and it takes quite awhile. I am not sure about the USA though or other countries.

Kitn

 

[7053joanne]

I trademarked for that reason. I don't want to suddenly have to change the name because someone else took it.

 

[IanT]

exactly...makes it easier to do it RIGHT the first time around...

 

[AshleyR]

I think Lindy trademarked her business name, and she's in Canada. You might want to ask her about the process and how much it costs.

 

[Lindy]

I haven't trademarked it yet - that is a whole other ball-game which can take 2 - 3 years!!!!

I have registered my company name as a sole proprietorship and I will at some point incorporate the company. What that does, in Canada at least, is protect that name in its entirety in the province you incorporate in and if you want you can do a federal incorporation which will cover you for the entire country. Trademarking, as I understand it, for here in Canada is more to protect your logo or slogan because once you incorporate the name cannot be stolen from you in whatever jurisdiction you have registered in.

Does that make sense?