Today’s Tip
Best Practice: Protect your service brand with a servicemark on a national level. Your brand is one of your most valuable business assets.
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Today’s Article: Protect Your Brand with a Servicemark
Your brand is one of your most valuable business assets. It distinguishes your company or product in the marketplace. Once the brand is established it is important to protect it. Registering your business name at a state level does not protect the name outside the state. The only thing that protects a company service at the federal level is a Servicemark.
What is a Servicemark?
According to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), ” a service mark is a word, phrase, symbol, and/or design that identifies and distinguishes the source of a service rather than goods.” The term “trademark” is often used to refer to both trademarks and service marks. Protecting your intellectual property can help ensure that your design, brand, or creation remains yours and under your control.
U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) uses specific categories, or “classes” to register a servicemark. “If your business falls into more than one single class, example: (Class 41: Education and Entertainment Services and Class 44: Medical & Beauty Services and Agricultural Services) additional fees are required for each additional class.” Below are Service Classes:
Service Classes
Class 35: Advertising, Business and Retail Services
Class 36: Insurance and Financial Services
Class 37: Construction and Repair Services
Class 38: Communication Services
Class 39: Transportation and Storage Services
Class 40: Treatment and Processing of Materials Services
Class 41: Education and Entertainment Services
Class 42: Computer & Software Services and Scientific Services
Class 43: Restaurant and Hotel Services
Class 44: Medical & Beauty Services and Agricultural Services
Class 45: Personal, Legal and Social Services
Action Step: Do I need a Servicemark? If so, decide if you will file the Servicemark yourself or use an outside service.
Additional Resources
File Registration Myself
Use Outside Filing Service
Additional Resources
Return to Protect Your Brand Return to Brand Library Return to Brand Yourself
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