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Comparison of Principal Register, Supplemental Register, and Common Law Trademark Rights (Advantages of Federal Registration) |
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Trademark Rights |
Principal Register |
Supplemental Register |
Common Law |
|
Bring infringement suit in federal court based on the federal registration |
YES |
YES |
NO |
|
Can be used by trademark examiner against future applications of confusing similar marks |
YES |
YES |
NO |
|
Mark is easy to find for search reports |
YES |
YES |
NO |
|
Owner can use ® to symbolize federal registration |
YES |
YES |
NO |
|
Incontestability of mark after 5 years |
YES |
NO |
NO |
|
Statutory presumption of validity |
YES |
NO |
NO |
|
Statutory presumption of ownership |
YES |
NO |
NO |
|
Statutory presumption of distinctiveness or inherently distinctive |
YES |
NO |
NO |
|
Statutory presumption of exclusive right to use the mark in commerce |
YES |
NO |
NO |
|
Can be recorded with US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to prevent importation of infringing goods |
YES |
NO |
NO |
|
Ability to bring federal criminal charges against traffickers in counterfeits |
YES |
NO |
NO |
|
Use of the U.S. registration as a basis to obtain registration in foreign countries |
YES |
NO |
NO |
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PLAN FOR A DISTINCTIVE, SUCCESSFUL, STRONG FEDERALLY REGISTERED TRADEMARK To verify a potential trademark is strong, is available to use, and is ready to register, the process should be more than a direct hit federal search. To maximize the commercial strength and minimize the weaknesses of a trademark, we start with these five steps: 1) Verify Inherent Strength (this avoids merely descriptive, geographically descriptive, likelihood of confusion and other office actions), 2) Verify Right to Use, (this avoids likelihood of confusion refusal office actions and others) 3) Verify Right to Register, (this avoids many types of refusals including merely descriptive, deceptively misdescriptive, geographically descriptive and others that can often be predicted) 4) Verify the potential mark (as currently used) Functions As A Mark, and (this avoids specimen refusals, trade name refusals, and others. The USPTO is looking for valid use not just any use of a mark.) 5) Verify that the Goods and Services ID is both the correct and the maximum claim that are user can make and verify that the Goods and Services ID meets USPTO requirements before filing. (This avoids office actions to correct incorrect IDs which can slow down a registration. Incorrect IDs may be corrected during the prosecution of a trademark if they do not materially alter the mark or the ID. Correcting problems before application saves time and money. Filing in a new class after an application has been submitted to cure a problem ID is the same price as a new application in that class.) *We don’t stop here but this is a good start! Call us at (651) 500- Not Just Patents ® is a registered trademark of Not Just Patents LLC with a USPTO
Federal Trademark Registration (R/N 3556868- |
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PO Box 18716, Minneapolis, MN 55418
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