Before running to court, remember that you, as the potential plaintiff, must be actually using your trademark in order to prevent others from using it. A business that claims to own a trademark cannot stop others from using the same or a similar trademark unless it is actively using the trademark itself. In trademark law, \\"using\\" a trademark means putting it to work in the marketplace to identify goods or services. This does not necessarily mean that the product or service actually has to be sold, as long as it is legitimately offered to the public under the trademark in question. Remember, trademarks are designed to help the marketplace and consumers more than the \\"owner\\" of the trademark. An unused trademark will receive minimal protection from the courts.