Branding With Promotional Merchandise
If you have registered a trademark for your business, you may have also thought about using your logo with promotional merchandise. Many trademark holders increase brand awareness by affixing their mark to hats, t-shirts, or mugs. There are different methods of ensuring that the logo retains its protected status while you use it in this manner.
The best way to protect the mark is through registering multiple classes on the trademark application. For example, in addition to stating the mark will be used in connection with your particular goods or services, also indicate the mark will be used with classes that include promotional items such as t-Shirts, Class 25, and coffee mugs, Class 21.
In the alternative, if money is a concern, you may enforce your mark without registering for additional classes. Common law trademark rights can prevent others from using your mark in a particular region, with specified goods or services, if you are already using the mark. Because federal registration can cost anywhere from $275 to $ 325 per class, common law enforcement may be a more economical choice for business promoters with limited start-up capital. However, while common law rights protects the mark, they do not provide the same presumption of validity and ownership as federal protection.
If you have any questions about obtaining a trademark, or about common law trademark rights, contact an experienced trademark attorney.
