Why are trademark registration applications refused? Your mark is
- Similar to existing marks using sound, meaning, or appearance
- Similar in use or marketing approach
- An unoriginal description of a service, product, or geographic location easily confused by the public with other brands
- Deceptive, confusing, or misleading
- A person or family surname
What are some ways to avoidable pitfalls when filing a trademark or service mark?
- Develop a fanciful, suggestive, and strong trademark that avoids a generic
- Avoid vulgar phrases no matter how popular they are.
- Consider trademarking your Internet domain and your slogan or tag line.
- Take time conduction a thorough, comprehensive trademark search that include unregistered, common law marks. Include, for example, searches for phonetically similar words, synonyms, homonyms, and foreign words with similar meanings.
- Answer all Trademark Office Actions.