What Trademark Protection Do You Get With a Logo That Is Just Your Business Name in Stylized Text?

In the previous post, I went over how trademark registration of a logo doesn’t usually provide any trademark protection for your business name. What happens if the logo is just the business name itself displayed in a special way?

If your logo is just the business or brand name in a particular font, style, arrangement, etc., that’s called a Stylized Text Mark. A great example is the Coca-Cola stylized text mark.

Registering that in that format only provides protection for the EXACT font, style, arrangement, etc. claimed in the application.

If you want to protect the name in ANY possible format, you should apply to register it as a plain text trademark. That gives you the greatest flexibility to change font, color, style, and arrangement of words. That will allow you to not worry about whether a font change will ruin your trademark registration protection.

Here's an example of a plain text / standard text mark:

PLAIN STANDARD TEXT

Here are some examples of stylized text marks:

STYLIZED TEXT in black punk/ransom note font
STYLIZED TEXT in black all caps comic/horror font
Stylized TEXT in black Times New Roman Font
STYLIZED TEXT in black all caps Times New Roman Font, curved in an arc
STYLIZED TEXT in black all caps Times New Roman Font with purple outline
STYLIZED TEXT in green all caps Times New Roman Font

If you’d like help with trademarks, let’s talk. You can use my contact form or book a consultation online at kingpatentlaw.com or by calling my office at 312-596-2222 or 217-714-8558.

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Julie King

Julie is a licensed patent attorney and the founding attorney at King Patent Law, PLLC, with over 25 years of legal experience. Her practice focuses on intellectual property, business, and estate planning, and she's passionate about helping clients use IP tools to protect and grow their businesses. When she's not helping clients, you can find her at a live rock show, watching a horror movie, or playing the guitar (badly).
.libutton { display: flex; flex-direction: column; justify-content: center; padding: 7px; text-align: center; outline: none; text-decoration: none !important; color: #ffffff !important; width: 14rem; height: 2.5rem; border-radius: 16px; background-color: #0A66C2; font-family: "SF Pro Text", Helvetica, sans-serif; } Follow Julie on LinkedIn

This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. For advice about your specific situation, consult with a licensed attorney.

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