This document provides a primer on trademarks and copyright for business owners. It discusses what trademarks and copyright protect, how to obtain common law and federal trademark rights, and the benefits of federal trademark registration. The document also covers selecting strong trademarks, proper trademark usage, copyright ownership and requirements, considerations for works made for hire, and strategies for combating counterfeit products.

1. Trademark & Copyright
Primer for
Business Owners
Wei Wei Jeang, Esq.
wjeang@gchub.com
469.878.8643
www.GeneralCounselHub.com
Copyright 2015 Wei Wei Jeang. All rights reserved.

2. Trademark
• Any “word, name, symbol, or device (shape, color,
smell, sound), or combinations thereof”
• Identifies the source of the product or service
• Commercial identity and goodwill & reputation
• Trademark rights established based on use
• Can be your most valuable asset
Copyright 2015 Wei Wei Jeang. All rights reserved.

3. Trademark
Copyright 2015 Wei Wei Jeang. All rights reserved.

4. Trademark
Common Law Rights
• Actual use
• Geographic scope of
actual use
Federal Registration
• Actual use or intent-to-
use
• Geographic scope is
nationwide
Copyright 2015 Wei Wei Jeang. All rights reserved.

5. Trademark
• Use TM for trademark not federally registered
• Use ® for federally registered trademark
• Examples:
Copyright 2015 Wei Wei Jeang. All rights reserved.

6. Trademark
• Highly advisable to register your trademarks with
USPTO
• Company name
• Product name
• Logo
• Slogan
Copyright 2015 Wei Wei Jeang. All rights reserved.

7. Trademark
• Federal Registration
• Legal Presumption of Ownership
• Legal Presumption of Exclusive Right to Use Mark
• Public Notice of Ownership
• Recordation with U.S. Customs & Border Protection
• Can Sue Infringer in Federal Court
• Nationwide Geographical Scope
Copyright 2015 Wei Wei Jeang. All rights reserved.

8. Trademark
• Domain Name ≠ Federal Trademark Registration
• Business Name Registration with State ≠
Federal Trademark Registration
Copyright 2015 Wei Wei Jeang. All rights reserved.

9. Trademark
• Pick unique trademark
• Must not be confusingly similar to another mark
• Sound alike, look alike, same commercial impression
for similar goods/services
Copyright 2015 Wei Wei Jeang. All rights reserved.

10. Trademark
• Pick strong trademark
• Must not be Descriptive or Generic
Fanciful or
ArbitrarySuggestiveDescriptiveGeneric
Copyright 2015 Wei Wei Jeang. All rights reserved.

11. Trademark
• Generic: MILK for dairy-based drink
• Descriptive: BRIGHT for flashlight
Fanciful or
ArbitrarySuggestiveDescriptiveGeneric
Copyright 2015 Wei Wei Jeang. All rights reserved.

12. Trademark
• Suggestive: OASIS for cold beverage
• Fanciful: XEROX, CISCO, MICROSOFT
• Arbitrary: APPLE, BLACKBERRY, GAP
Fanciful or
ArbitrarySuggestiveDescriptiveGeneric
Copyright 2015 Wei Wei Jeang. All rights reserved.

13. Trademark
• Common Problems:
• Descriptive
• No search before picking trademark
• Improper usage
• Use © with trademarks
Copyright 2015 Wei Wei Jeang. All rights reserved.

14. Trademark
• Proper Usage:
• Use different font or capitalize to set apart
• Use as adjective
• Don’t use as noun or verb
• Don’t pluralize
• Don’t use mark in the possessive
Copyright 2015 Wei Wei Jeang. All rights reserved.

15. Trademark
• YES:
• Buy TIDE detergent
• The whitening power of Tide
detergent
• Make a copy on the XEROX
copier
• Buy 3 COCA-COLA soft
drinks
• NO:
• Buy TIDE
• TIDE’s whitening
power
• Xerox this report
• Buy 3 Coca-Colas
Copyright 2015 Wei Wei Jeang. All rights reserved.

16. Copyright
• Protect a work of authorship
• Examples: photograph, drawing, painting,
lyrics, music recording, video/movie, literary
text, computer code, screen layout, user
manual
Copyright 2015 Wei Wei Jeang. All rights reserved.

17. Copyright
• Two requirements:
1. Fixed in a tangible medium
2. Original
Copyright 2015 Wei Wei Jeang. All rights reserved.

18. Copyright
• Ownership is in the author by default
• “Hiring” a photographer to take photos
• “Hiring” writer to write product description
• “Hiring” computer programmer to create code
• Owning a copy ≠ owning copyright
Copyright 2015 Wei Wei Jeang. All rights reserved.

19. Copyright
• By default:
• Author is employee => Employer owns
• Author is independent contractor => Author
owns
• Must have agreement with independent
contractor that spells out ownership!
Copyright 2015 Wei Wei Jeang. All rights reserved.

20. Copyright
• Be aware of using images taken off the Internet
• Best to design or shoot your own graphics and
images and not take short cuts
• Amazon.com will remove listing upon
complaint from copyright owner
• Possible statutory damages of up to $150,000
per violation
Copyright 2015 Wei Wei Jeang. All rights reserved.

21. Copyright
• Ownership rights:
1. Make copies
2. Create a derivative work
3. Sell, distribute, transmit copy
4. Perform, display in public
Copyright 2015 Wei Wei Jeang. All rights reserved.

22. Copyright
• Common law copyright
• Federally registered copyright
• Presumption of valid copyright
• Public notice
• Statutory damages
• Required before lawsuit
Copyright 2015 Wei Wei Jeang. All rights reserved.

23. Copyright
• Consider registering
1. Photographs used in product listing
2. Photographs and graphics used on
packaging
3. Product description
4. User manual
Copyright 2015 Wei Wei Jeang. All rights reserved.

24. Copyright
• Federal copyright registration
• Simple form
• $35 or $55 filing fee (online)
Copyright 2015 Wei Wei Jeang. All rights reserved.

25. Copyright
• Copyright notice not required but good idea.
• © 2015 Adam Smith
• Copyright 2015 Acme Company
Copyright 2015 Wei Wei Jeang. All rights reserved.

26. Combat Counterfeit Product
• Purchase counterfeit product
• Take pictures of packaging & product
• Capture screenshots of unauthorized use of
trademarks and copyrighted materials
• File complaint with copyright@amazon.com and
legal@amazon.com
• Get a lawyer involved
Copyright 2015 Wei Wei Jeang. All rights reserved.