Trademarking a Business Name: What the Process Actually Involves
Registering a trademark for a business name is one of the most important steps in building a brand — and one that many businesses defer until a conflict or competitor forces the issue. Understanding the process from beginning to registration makes the decision to file early considerably easier.
Step 1: Confirm the Name Is Trademarkable
Not every name qualifies for trademark protection. The USPTO evaluates proposed marks on a spectrum from generic to arbitrary, with protection available only to marks that function as genuine brand identifiers.
Generic terms — words that simply describe the category of goods or services — are not registrable. "Computer" for a computer company is generic. "Apple" for computers is arbitrary — a word with no connection to the product — and highly distincti...