Trademark answers in plain English

Trademark vs LLC vs Domain Name: What Protects Your Brand Founders often assume forming an LLC or buying a domain

Brand protection · Domain names What is cybersquatting, and how do you stop it? Someone registers a domain built on

Ornamental Refusal: What Merely Ornamental Trademarks Mean Apparel and merch brands often hit an “ornamental refusal” because a big front-of-shirt

Trademark basics · Distinctiveness Strong vs weak trademarks: where does your name fall? Every mark sits somewhere on the spectrum

Should You Launch Before Your Trademark Registers? Registration can take the better part of a year, so most founders can’t

USPTO procedure guide · Timeline How long does trademark registration take, step by step? A clean use-based application now takes

Can Two Businesses Have the Same Trademark in Different Industries? You searched your dream brand name and found another company

USPTO procedure guide · Refusals What happens when a trademark gets rejected? A USPTO rejection is rarely the end. Most

Federal vs. State Trademark Registration Should you register your brand with your state or with the USPTO? Here is a

What Does “Trademark Pending” Mean? You filed your application and now your mark is “pending.” Here is exactly what that