Trademarks and Television
If you create entertainment content for TV, trademarks play an essential role in all that you do. Unlike most industries, being conscious of existing trademarks and potential infringement with their use in your production is critical.
The last thing you want is to sink your creative efforts with unauthorized use of products and trademarks. For instance, suppose your script calls for a scene in a Starbucks or any name-brand location. You will need permission by way of license or release from that entity (not merely from the local store operator) to avoid legal action. Your only option absent that consent is to find an alternative or drop it from the script.
Protecting Your Intellectual Property Rights
Your first level of protection is copyright which is inherently present upon the creation of your work. Filing for copyright is a best practice but offers limited protection for your overall brand.
Registering a trademark can take many months, even a year, or more. Many productions are short-lived and soon sent to the back of the list, making them poor candidates for trademarking.
However, trademark registration is a must if you are crafting a series, intend to market merchandise, or produce a sequel.
What Can You Trademark?
All trademark applications begin with an exhaustive name search to verify your ability for legal use of the name. Next, you must completely and accurately complete the registration form, which can be a challenge for the uninitiated.
Trademark Factory®’s all-inclusive 100% money-back guarantee can take all this effort off your shoulders.
Generic words like Earth or Happy are not eligible as trademarks. Your trademark is a distinctive representation of your brand, which can take many forms, such as words, logos, letters, numerals, and more.
In all cases, your trademark must be distinctive and not cause confusion with other registered trademarks. Otherwise, your application will not be successful, and you will need to start all over.
The Right Class
The Nice Classification System establishes trademark standards for various categories of use. Merchandising offers significant opportunities for promotion and profits in many different arenas. You will likely need to file trademark applications in more than one of these classes.
For example:
Class 9-Apparatus for Recording and Reproduction of Sounds and Images and Cinematographic Apparatus and Instruments
Class 16-Paper & Cardboard
Class 21-Figurines
Class 25-Clothing
Class 28-Toys
Class 38-Telecommunications, e. g., Distribution of audio/visual works online.,
Class 41-Entertainment and Education Services
Class 42-interactive & software services
All of these considerations can be overwhelming. You may even feel that so much work is unnecessary. But, the cost is insignificant when you consider the likes of the Harry Potter franchise, Star Wars, and innumerable other highly marketed and profitable entertainment models.
But, finding all that time can be a real challenge in your busy life and world. That’s why so many smart entrepreneurs turn to Trademark Factory® for the best trademark support and 100% money-back guarantee of trademark registration success.
They understand that they have nothing to lose and everything to gain from our vast team of professional trademark attorneys and support staff.
Conclusion
Registering your trademark allows for litigation against those who would use an identical or similar mark to sell identical or similar goods or services, cause confusion with consumers, or take unfair advantage of your brand reputation.
If you intend to register your trademark, you should immediately begin attaching the™ bug to all relevant elements like your name and logo to claim your unregistered trademark rights. While not registered, it still affords you some legal protection in the interim. However, do not incorporate the ® symbol before registration as this is illegal.
Your surest method for successfully registering your trademark(s) is the proven track record of success that Trademark Factory® will provide.
Think about all of the effort, time, and expense of pursuing trademark registration on your own.
You have a mountain of details and countless voices requiring your attention for the success of your project. Do you want to spend so much of your valuable time doing something outside your skill set?
Contact Trademark Factory® today and set all of that aside. Let us do all the legwork and shepherd your application to final registration while you focus your effort and talent where they can benefit your success and effort most.