Trademarks may be protected under both state and federal law. As with copyrights, you will receive some trademark protection as soon as you use a mark and those rights will last as long as the mark remains distinctive and you do not abandon it. To maintain federal trademark registrations, you will need to file periodic renewals and certifications of use. You may transfer trademark rights to others, as long as you also transfer the rights to the underlying product. As with patents, you will need to register your trademarks in each country where you desire protection.
Trademarks protect the name or mark associated with the product to which they are attached.
Unlike copyright, however, trademarks do not protect the expression embodied in a product, and unlike patents, trademarks do not protect its underlying invention. Learn more about trademark law. Or see more information on our Trademark Practice Group. The contents of this Web page are not intended, and cannot be considered, as legal advice or opinion. All rights reserved.