Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

Are there situations when registering things like your trademark, company name, logo, etc. with the state is enough? Is it ok to just go the state route immediately as you are just getting started?

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**College Application** **Scholarship Search** **Essay Editing** The Experts in College Admissions Counseling. CollegeStrategiesOnline.com Blog.CollegeStrategiesOnline.com

There`s situations where registering nothing is OK too.

Hey College Coach... Nice work on the website!  I see you have been doing some re-organizing.

The only reason I can think of [right off the top of my head] to NOT register with the Feds is if you CAN`T register with the Feds or if you don`t care about your business reputation.  For example, if your trademark is generic there is no good reason to waste your time and money.  The down side to registering when you can is pretty small.  Even when your mark is not in use in interstate commerce you can still file an application and let the business grow into it.

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James Lindon, Ph.D. Patent Attorney
Lindon & Lindon, LLC
Cleveland, Ohio
Patents, Trademarks, Copyrights, Pharmacy Law, Litigation
[this is not legal advice - provided for discussion only]
Intellectual Property for the Individual and Small Business: Identify, Protect, Enforce, Defend.
"Fools rush in where angels fear to tread."
http://www.LindonLaw.com

James,

That was some great advice. I think if you are a growing company, it would be important because you could cross another company that has a similar Trademark.

Thanks Casa! The feedback I got from SuN was great and I got a new outlook on what I really need to say. But none the less, it is still a work in progress.

Ok, back to the topic...

I know the ideal situation is to register federally, but does state registration have any benefits? Or should that step just be avoided and you just work with the federal stuff?

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**College Application** **Scholarship Search** **Essay Editing** The Experts in College Admissions Counseling. CollegeStrategiesOnline.com Blog.CollegeStrategiesOnline.com

state registrations are better than nothing.  one advantage of the federal approach is that it covers ALL 50 states even if you are not doing business in all 50 states. 

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James Lindon, Ph.D. Patent Attorney
Lindon & Lindon, LLC
Cleveland, Ohio
Patents, Trademarks, Copyrights, Pharmacy Law, Litigation
[this is not legal advice - provided for discussion only]
Intellectual Property for the Individual and Small Business: Identify, Protect, Enforce, Defend.
"Fools rush in where angels fear to tread."
http://www.LindonLaw.com

I belive that when you regester with the fed you have to use the mark within a set time frame or you have to pay for the extencion. I also belive you are limited on the amount of extensions you can have.I belive your best bet would be to go with the fed if your company will be doing interstate business.But be sure to check with your attorney first. Good luck. 

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FLIP-IT

How do you register with the feds? I have started a company which I hope to grow and I have just registered with my state. What else do I need to d?