This document outlines 5 secrets about trademarks: 1. You do not need an attorney to trademark and can do it through the USPTO website, though their videos are not step-by-step and an external site provides better instructions. 2. Trademarks can provide tax and estate planning benefits if the trademark is owned individually and leased to the business through a royalty agreement. 3. One trademark does not provide protection across all industries, so trademarks may be needed for both your industry and for t-shirts. 4. Unique and fanciful names are best for trademarks to avoid confusion, and custom logos are better than stock graphics. 5. Trademarks on business names are called "wordmarks" while

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5 Secrets About Trademarks

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1. You do NOT Have to Hire an
Attorney to Trademark
 Go to www.uspto.gov
 Click on the “Trademarks” menu item,
 Click on the links under “First-Time Filers, Start
Here”.
 The videos are great, HOWEVER, they are not a
“walk-through”.
 HINT: For step by step instructions including a walk
through, workbook, tax strategy, sample royalty
agreement and more go to www.AccountLinks.BIZ
and sign up for portal access.

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2. Trademarks Can Lead to Tax
and Estate Planning Benefits
Unfortunately, most entrepreneurs do not
trademark and even fewer define the
ownership optimally.
HINT: Own the trademark as an individual
and lease it back to your business
through a “Royalty Agreement”.

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3. One Trademark Does NOT
Protect You in All Industries
Having a trademark for your business name
in the “trucking” class code does not
automatically protect you from someone else
using that same name for their brand selling
“t-shirts”.
HINT: You may want to get the trademark for
your particular industry and then a
trademark in class code “025” which is for
shirts.

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4. “Unique and Fanciful” is Key
in Trademarking
 If the business name is “Best Plumbing” and
the business is “plumbing services” it will be
difficult, if not impossible, to trademark. ALSO,
avoid words too closely related to other
businesses.
 HINTS: Find words that are descriptive but
cleverly unique such as: “Foster the American
Dream” (real estate agent whose last name is
“Foster”). Do not use stock graphics for logos
and instead get a custom logo made for you.

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5. A Trademark on a Business Name
is also Called a “Wordmark”
On a sound, such as your jingle, it is
called a “Soundmark”. Wordmarking,
Soundmarking, etc commonly are
referred to as “trademarking”.
HINT: You might consider “Wordmarking”
your domain name (URL), business name,
motto, slogan and, of course,
trademarking your logo.