Indianapolis Trademark Lawyers
Protecting Your Creative Rights
People typically associate a business with a name, logo, color, or visual. That’s why for many businesses, how their customers connect with them is truly their biggest asset.
This is also known as intellectual property, which can be in the form of trademarks, copyrights, and patents. Your business, your services, or what you sell will dictate which one makes the most sense for your business model.
Without trademark or intellectual property protection, these valuable business assets can be diluted in the marketplace or worse yet, stolen altogether. In the digital age, it’s all too easy and now more common than ever to steal ideas and claim them as your own.
At Katie Charleston Law, PC, our job is to help you protect your creative rights through trademark and intellectual property strategy, registration, and maintenance. Doing so ensures your business gets the credit and the financial gains that come with it.
Our Indianapolis trademark lawyers can help you:
- Better understand trademarks as part of your overall business strategy
- What happens if you don’t protect your business’s intellectual property
- Understand your intellectual property rights and infringement
- How trademark lawyers, like us, can proactively help you protect your brand
Don’t let other companies take credit for your creative ideas and hard work or get the financial gains as a result. We are your trademark and intellectual property partner in protecting your brand and preserving your creative rights and assets in life and business.
For the Ultimate Trademark Experience, we offer the Shark Mark package, which provides you with a comprehensive plan of services to register and protect your mark.
We will ensure you feel confident, prepared, and protected for this next step in your business.Contact us by calling (463) 287-6731.
What is a Trademark?
A trademark protects your business’s intellectual property. This could include slogans, business names, shapes, catchphrases, brand colors, and company names.
Intellectual property is one of the most vital assets a business has. Intellectual property is a set of intangible assets by original creators, companies, and owners of inventions via ideas, designs, inventions, and creative expressions.
Not only does having a trademark set you apart from your competition in the marketplace, but it also affords you legal protection from anyone stealing your trademark or name for financial gain, media attention, and more without your consent or approval.
Additionally, an official trademark gives you national recognition and affords you national reach, as opposed to local reach when it’s legally protected.
You might recognize some of these well-known companies with a trademark:
- Apple
- McDonald’s
- Dolce & Gabbana
- Nike
- Coca-Cola
Our trademark lawyers with Katie Charleston Law, PC can help you better understand trademarks as a viable option for your business entity. We also can review if a trademark or another form of intellectual property, as part of your overall business strategy, makes sense for your long-term goals.
What Happens If I Don’t File for a Trademark?
If you don’t file for a trademark and protect your intellectual property, another person or business is free to use your idea, design, or invention for possible financial gain.
In this digital age, idea and creative theft are running rampant. It’s easier now more than ever for people and companies to steal ideas and assets with legal contracts in place.
You are not required to file a trademark or protect your creative rights, though you will not own your name or brand and, therefore, do not have any legal rights to it. Along the same lines, if you don’t register your trademark, you will only have rights within your specific geography or local area in which you operate.
Once our business attorneys have helped confirm a trademark is right for your business, we can help you file and manage your trademark.
The steps to registering look something like this:
- Apply on the uspto.gov site
- Submit your application
- Work with an assigned USPTO attorney
- Obtain approval or a denial of your application
- Maintain your registration
At a glance, the process might look simple, though there are several nuisances involved.
The process of filing a trademark includes legal proceedings with strict procedures and deadlines, so the help of our trademark lawyers to facilitate the process with uspto.gov could make sense for your business.
How Long Does A Trademark Last?
The quickest answer to that question is 10 years. But as with many legal things, it’s not quite that simple. The tenth anniversary of a trademark is when the trademark’s owner needs to prove to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) that the mark is still in use. That’s an important distinction from things like patents and copyrights, which expire on their own after certain periods of time.
Is A Trademark Attorney The Same As A Patent Attorney?
Trademark and patent attorneys each have distinct roles in intellectual property law -- they are not the same. Trademark attorneys focus on safeguarding brand elements like names, slogans, and logos that differentiate products or services in the market. They manage the registration and enforcement of trademarks. Conversely, patent attorneys specialize in securing protection for inventions, guiding patent applications, and enforcing patent rights. Consulting the appropriate attorney is crucial, as each aspect of intellectual property demands specific legal expertise to ensure effective protection and compliance.
Why Use a Trademark Attorney?
Using a trademark attorney offers invaluable expertise in navigating the complexities of trademark law, ensuring your brand elements are properly registered and protected. They help avoid costly legal pitfalls by providing strategic advice on trademark selection and use, enhancing enforceability. A trademark attorney is also able to defend your brand identity against infringement, offering peace of mind and a competitive edge in the marketplace. Their specialized knowledge ensures comprehensive protection, allowing you to focus on growing your business with confidence. If you have a business in Indianapolis, it is imperative to work with an experienced trademark attorney.
Have a question? Speak with a skilled trademark lawyer in Indianapolis at Katie Charleston Law, PC. Call (463) 287-6731 or complete our online form for a consultation.
Five-Star Client Reviews
In their Own Words
Our highest priority is providing top-notch representation for our clients, and it shows in our reviews. Read through some below, or call us at (463) 287-6731 today to get started.
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"A Great Communicator"Katie was very professional throughout this process and was very responsive throughout all of our correspondence. She always answered all of our questions and is a great communicator!!!!!- Tyeisha B.
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"They Really Know Their Stuff"Katie and Hannah are absolutely marvelous to chat with and really know their stuff. If someone is infringing on your trademark rights, this is who you want in your corner. Cheers!- Peter Q.
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"It Meant So Much to Me"I started a new media platform and it did not goes as planned. They definitely kept checking up on me to ensure they were there when I was ready. 100% customer service. Her follow-up meant a lot to me.- Tara S.
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"Couldn't Be Happier"Katie was so helpful when it came to our family trust. She spent a lot of time with us and never hurried the process. We could not be happier with the service from her and her staff.- Steve M.
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"Professional and Timely"Katie prepared an update to an existing trust, plus provided additional documents, such as a financial power of attorney that the previous lawyer had not done. She did a very professional job, and a timely one.- Barbara C.
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"Personable & Extremely Thorough"When we created our business, Katie was able to work with our crazy schedules with zoom calls and in-person meetings. She is personable, articulate, and extremely thorough and I trust her.- Goldwood Studios
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"She Gave Me Peace of Mind"I wanted to have peace of mind when hiring someone I had never worked with before, and Katie provided that. She was professional, thorough, meticulous, and made sure I had all of my risks covered in the agreement.- Tim S.
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"I Feel Confident in Her"Katie Charleston was very helpful with all of my business contracts. She would update me on any changes, she is very professional and stays on top of everything. Her clients come first.- Ellen M.
How Can a Trademark Lawyer Help?
Our trademark lawyers help advise business owners like you on trademark usage and the right intellectual property strategy for your business.
Our trademark attorneys can help with registration, monitoring, and helping manage your trademark with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), as well as get involved with any legal proceedings as a result of any infringement.
As a closer look, our trademark attorneys can help with:
- Proactively identify issues related to your trademark registration
- Help set a strategy for an innovative trademark
- Work through any issues, like conflicting marks, that might get your trademark denied
- Prepare and file all necessary legal paperwork to avoid government obstacles or hiccups related to procedures
- Trademark usage and how you can or cannot use it
- Conduct deeper USPTO searches to ensure your trademark is original
- Review your competitors’ trademarks and intellectual property
- Litigate any infringement issues if a person or company uses your trademark illegally
- Keep you abreast of any industry changes or updates that might apply to your trademark
Requirements of the trademark process, laws related to trademarks, and the overall process can be confusing. Our trademark lawyers can help you seamlessly navigate the process, take the right steps and avoid costly mistakes that could harm your business now and into the future.
Katie Charleston Law, PC – Home to the Shark Mark
Our Shark Mark plan is ideal for the business owner looking to be known by their mark. Why? Because with this plan, we work with you to ensure your mark is a unique representation of your product or service to set your business up for optimal success. Complete with a comprehensive analysis of your mark prior to the application process, we work to decrease any chance that your mark will get rejected by the USPTO and then diligently monitor your marks to discover and fight against anyone who may use your mark or something confusingly similar. With this plan, your mark will provide value to your business and maintain clarity to the consumer about the products and services they are purchasing.
Book a Consultation with our Indianapolis Trademark Lawyers and Protect Your Intellectual Property
Trademarks and other intellectual property can be your business’s most valuable asset.
At Katie Charleston Law, PC, we focus on a comprehensive partnership—rather than a transaction—that includes integrated asset protection. From trademark and intellectual property protection to everyday business counsel and civil appeals.
We’re your turnkey asset protection partner in life and business—we protect your assets throughout your business journey.
Consider a trademark for your business or call our business lawyers to discuss other intellectual property to protect your business’s most valuable assets. Call Katie Charleston Law, PC at (463) 287-6731.
