Chapter 4 - Trademarks and Domain Names

Abstract

Building and implementing legal protection for brands is essential for the success of a digital technology business. This chapter is focuses on brands, the words and symbols that identify the source of products, and services. A strong brand can help bring customers to the products, and services. Brands provide credibility; the legal name for a brand is a trademark. The chapter focuses on trademark law, strong and weak trademarks, trademark priority, trademark searches US trademark registration, trademarks around the world, trademark licensing, and the trademarks on the Internet. Trademarks are source identifiers that carry an emotional charge. Domain names are different from trademarks, but they overlap with trademark law because they also can serve as important identifiers of products and services. Brands are built through smart selection, advertising, public relations, and promotion and labeling of products. American trademark law generally protects the owner of a distinctive trademark that has priority. Trademark law protects the distinctive mark. To make trademarks searchable, the patent office has developed a trademark classification system. The registration process begins with an application filed by an attorney that concentrated in trademark matters.