Washington DC Trademark/Copyright Registration Lawyer

Protecting your company’s intellectual property (IP) is an essential part of opening a start-up or small business. This prevents other parties from using your most valuable assets and allows you to take legal action if someone infringes on your IP rights. Filing a proper trademark or copyright application is a significant part of this process.

A Washington DC trademark/copyright registration lawyer could help you with this registration process. Our attorneys could determine whether your IP qualifies for registration, cross-reference with the current IP, and submit the required paperwork to the appropriate agencies.

What Does it Mean to File for Trademark or Copyright Protection?

Trademarks and copyrights are forms of intellectual property. Registering these properties with the appropriate agencies prevent other parties from using or otherwise profiting from them. A trademark is a company’s identifiable sign, logo, or expression. By contrast, copyright is the ability to produce copies of a writing or other creative expression.

Registration of IP can occur at both the local and federal levels. For example, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in Washington DC allows small business owners and others to apply for federal protection against infringement on their trademarks. Similarly, the Washington DC Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) handles registration at the local level. A Washington DC attorney could help the owners of small businesses and start-ups being the trademark and copyright registration process for their IP.

How Does IP Registration Work?

Once a party has a valid design or creation, they must search the USPTO database for any similar or related IP. If a design or creation exists that is substantially similar to a filer’s submission, this could significantly lengthen the application process or result in a denial. A Washington DC lawyer could take the lead in the registration process by performing a thorough search of IP that is currently trademarked or copyrighted.

If it appears that a trademark or copyright is sufficiently original to justify registration, an attorney could submit an application to the appropriate agencies on behalf of a small business owner. For example, the online TEAS service allows for trademark applicants to submit the necessary information to the USPTO. This application requires detailed information concerning the applicant as well as the IP itself. Similar requirements exist for parties seeking registration for copyright at the federal level. Our legal team is ready to assist start-up companies in submitting and tracking their applications for IP protection.

Reach Out to a Washington DC Trademark/Copyright Registration Attorney Today

Obtaining protection for your company’s intellectual property is vital to your business’ future success. Without this protection, any other entity or individual may profit off your company’s most valuable assets. As a result, obtaining a trademark for your small business’s images or copyright for written materials is an essential step when starting a company.

A Washington DC trademark/copyright registration lawyer is ready to help. We could explain the concepts of trademarks and copyrights, determine if similar works already enjoy protection, and take the lead in filing applications at both the DC and federal levels. Let Attorney Jay Gupta help your small business or start-up during its early stages so we could help you grow your company to its fullest potential. Please note that Jay Gupta does not handle patent law cases.