General Practice Attorney – Helping Clients Trademark Their Ideas
- Award-winning lawyer Melody Lankford is a trademark law attorney serving Central Florida.
- Known for our honest and aggressive stance regarding patent law, the top attorneys with our law firm have the experience needed to protect your inventions.
- Unlike other lawyers in Daytona Beach, FL, we have earned 5/5 stars – based on 20 reviews from previous and current clients.
A trademark is any word, slogan, or symbol used in commerce to distinguish your goods and services from those of others. In the United States, logo rights begin whenever you start using a specific trademark. However, those intellectual property rights become stronger when you register that symbol with the state or federal government. Trademark registration gives you a legal right to prevent others from using a confusingly similar word, slogan, or symbol (but not to prevent others from offering the same goods or services under another trademark).
Trademarks and patents for interstate and international commerce should be registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), but the process of registering a trademark can be lengthy and complex. You must meet very precise requirements in order to successfully register a trademark and once registered, you must take action to protect your trademark by pursuing infringement cases. And this is where our legal team can assist.
Representing and assisting clients throughout Central Florida and Daytona Beach, Attorney Melody Lankford is available to provide clients with help on a range of intellectual property law matters, including trademark registration, legal disputes over trademarks and IP litigation. In fact, Attorney Sandman is a licensed patent law attorney through the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
If you need help registering a trademark or if you are involved in a legal dispute over a trademark or logo, our attorneys are here to help. Trust your case to an experienced trademark lawyer and call the law firm of Lankford Law Firm at 850-264-7004.
Trademarking FAQ: How Do You Get a Trademark and What Protections Do You Get?
Trademarks are issued by the USPTO for logos, brand names, slogans and other unique and iconic elements that represent your brand or business. Before even starting the application process, your IP lawyer will work with you to evaluate your mark and to determine whether the mark would be “protectable” and sufficiently unique.
You will be required to complete an application, which is then reviewed by an examining attorney who works on behalf of the USPTO. If there is an issue present, you will be provided with information on why your application was rejected. Applicants are provided an opportunity to remedy the problem and resubmit.
Once the examining attorney accepts your proposed trademark and application the USPTO will publish the mark in the Official Gazette, a publication that trademark holders routinely review to ensure there are no new proposed trademarks that would represent an infringement upon your existing trademark. If there are oppositions, the matter is addressed before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB).
If nobody submits an opposition to your proposed mark, your trademark will typically be registered and you’ll receive a formal trademark registration certificate from the USPTO. Regular maintenance documents must be submitted periodically to keep your trademark registration active. Our legal team can assist with this, along with all phases of the trademark application process, including TTAB hearings and pursuing infringement cases.
Once you successfully register a trademark, you will have exclusive rights to that mark. This means that if another party wishes to use your trademark, they must seek permission and pay an appropriate fee. If someone uses your trademark without authorization, you have the right to file a lawsuit and seek damages, including lost revenues and legal costs.
Melody was by far the greatest legal professional I have ever had the privilege of working with. When starting our small business Melody went out of her way to not only prepare our company documentation and agreements but to explain to us exactly what she was doing and why it needed to be done. She was not afraid to steer us towards less expensive options when she could have easily upsold us. She was always available to answer questions and when she was unfamiliar with a topic she would research it and give a well thought out explanation. I cannot recommend Lankford Law Firm enough. – Richard Rogers
Where is a Trademark Valid? Is My Trademark Good Outside of the United States?
A federal trademark registration is evidence of your exclusive ownership and right to use that trademark. Trademark registration with the USPTO protects a symbol within U.S. borders. You’re also allowed to request seizure by U.S. Customs of goods entering the country with a counterfeit or infringing trademark. Individual states also register trademarks, and this means additional (although geographically limited) symbol rights.
International brand and trademark protection are also available by registering in individual countries or multi-nationally through several treaties and conventions. Our law firm can help by offering guidance if you’re seeking to secure international trademarks for your brand name, logo, slogan or other trademarked materials.
How Can Your Business Lawyers Help With the Trademarking Process?
A trademark application process always involves elaborate procedures and there are a number of potential legal issues that you may encounter. The help of an experienced Daytona Beach trademark and logo lawyer is imperative. In many cases, the USPTO will ask for concessions that can leave you – even after registration – with few logo rights or protections. Unfortunately, many only realize this problem once they’re already in court, facing litigation.
To ensure you protect your brand and receive the rights and protections you need to succeed, it’s wise to contact the law firm of Lankford Law Firm to oversee the entire trademark registration process on your behalf. A top Florida trademark lawyer can serve as a valuable small business partner; one you can count on to protect your interests and the interests of your business.
Our attorneys also handle intellectual property litigation cases, including the pursuit of trademark infringement cases. We can help with everything from issuing a cease and desist order, to seeking compensation for lost revenues as a result of an alleged act of infringement.
Providing Comprehensive Assistance With All of Your Trademarking and Intellectual Property Needs
Whatever your needs as an independent contractor or small business, the law firm of Lankford Law Firm is here to assist. Regarded as one of Central Florida’s most well-regarded law firms, our legal team represents and serves small businesses throughout Volusia County, along with Brevard, Flagler, Orange, and Seminole counties.
Assisting and representing small businesses in Central Florida, we offer legal advice, representation and guidance on a wide variety of business and legal matters ranging from trademarks and intellectual property protection, to hiring practices, workers’ compensation issues, wage disputes, employee contracts and I-9 compliance.
Daytona Beach trademark lawyer Melody Lankford, strives to provide a comfortable, friendly setting for clients and potential clients to discuss their business and legal needs by setting appointments around clients’ schedules. In addition to offering flexible time slots for client meetings, our legal team will also come to your place of business for meetings.
If you’re seeking to discuss your trademark infringement case, Attorney Melody Lankford of the law firm of Lankford Law Firm are here to provide a free consultation on your case. Contact the Lankford Law Firm for a consultation today at 850-264-7004 or email [email protected] Se Habla Español.
