Hi, I'm Michelle, the owner of The CEO Legal Loft. The CEO Legal Loft simplifies legal compliance for online businesses with easy-to-use contract templates and legal resources.
Legal Love Note 💌 Brainstorming product names? Read this first.
Disclaimer: The material in this email is for educational/informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. This material is not a substitute for a private, independent consultation with an attorney selected to advise you after a full investigation of the facts and law relevant to your matter, nor does the included information form an attorney-client relationship. Users of this material are advised to do their own due diligence when it comes to making business decisions, and all information, products, and services that have been provided should be independently verified by your own qualified professionals.
Before I settled on the name Legal Game Plan for the new checklist, one thing I did was a trademark search.
And you may be thinking, what was the point of doing that if it's just the name of a product? If you didn't know, product names can be trademarked. See Sweet Pea from Bath and Body Works.
In honor of the Legal Game Plan checklist coming out soon, I wanted to give you a mini checklist today that you can use before creating any names in your business as to not infringe on someone's trademark rights.
- Google: Yes, doing a broad search may bring up companies you've never heard of.
- USPTO search engine: The Trademark Office has a search engine that their own examiners use to find trademarks that are similar to yours. So if you plan on registering your mark with the USPTO, then it's highly recommended you search here.
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Social media: Many times, I would find companies that didn't pop on the business name or federal trademark portion of a trademark search report, but they would have a social media presence. Remember, they may have common law trademark rights and if they decide to register in the future and they were using the mark first, they may:
- start cancellation procedures, if already registered with the USPTO
- or an opposition, if it's in the application phase
Put this in your Google Drive or your Notes, so that you have this list in the future.
And if checklists are crucial to your business/productivity, then the Legal Game Plan checklist is for you. It's an 8 tab Google sheet, with a list of legal issues for different areas of your business, including intellectual property. Today is the last day you can pre order the Legal Game Plan checklist for $10. It will be available early next week.
Affiliate Disclosure: Some of the links in this email are “affiliate links.” That means if you click on a link and purchase the item, The CEO Legal Loft receives an affiliate commission. Please note, The CEO Legal Loft only recommends products or services that will add value to you. The CEO Legal Loft discloses this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
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🧋 Every Tuesday in July, Starbucks is giving you 50% off any iced drink using their mobile app. Starbucks rarely gives discounts so get your treat today!
Great resources to help your business + news
📱 Elon Musk decided not to buy Twitter (shocker).
🍪 Crumbl Cookies filed a trademark lawsuit against two of their competitors.
⛽ Gas prices are dropping! Thank the lord.
Here's what's you can look forward to at The CEO Legal Loft
Next month is the annual birthday sale on The CEO Legal Loft. I'm still ironing things out, and will give details when it's closer to that time. Regardless, it's gonna be a celebration! 🎉
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Talk soon,
Michelle at The CEO Legal Loft
Hi, I'm Michelle, the owner of The CEO Legal Loft. The CEO Legal Loft simplifies legal compliance for online businesses with easy-to-use contract templates and legal resources.
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