One of the most important steps when preparing a new trademark application is creating the list of the products or services that the trademark will identify.
Think about it: This list defines the scope of your registered rights in a mark. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will use this list to determine whether your mark is confusingly similar to those in prior applications and registrations, and competitors will use it to gauge whether they can get away with adopting a similar brand. Plus, if your description of goods and services is inaccurate, your trademark registration can be exposed to cancellation. High stakes!
Ever take a look at one of these descriptions and wonder what on earth it means? “Providing temporary use of on-line non-downloadable software and applications for {specify the function of the programs, e.g., for use in database management, for use as a spreadsheet, for word processing, etc. and, if software is content- or field-specific, the field of use}”? That’s a lot to take in all at once – so let’s break it down. Continue reading “Speaking the Language of the Trademark Office: Descriptions of Goods and Services”