What You’re NOT Protecting with Just a Logo Trademark Registration

What aren’t you protecting with just a logo trademark registration? Trademark registration only protects exactly what’s registered. If your registered logo includes the name of the business, you aren’t protected if:

  • you use a version of the logo without the business name, or
  • you use the name separately from the logo.

Here’s an Example:

Imagine you own Rock Star Coffee Co., and you register a trademark for a logo featuring a stylized guitar and the company name in a custom font. That registration protects the logo—but not the words “Rock Star Coffee Co.” by themselves. Another business may be able register “Rock Star Coffee” or “Rockstar Coffee” as a standard character mark, giving them exclusive rights to the name in plain text across various fonts and styles.

The business also wouldn’t be protected using just the stylized guitar or just the text.

Also, the business wouldn’t be protected when using the text in any other font or arrangement.

That is NOT how to be a rock star with trademarks.

This image illustrates the text in the preceding paragraphs under the "Here's an Example" heading. It shows how the logo has an image and text laid out in a particular way in a particular font. It also shows how the image without the text, with text in a different font, or the text by itself in ANY font or arrangement is NOT protected by trademark registration of the logo alone.

What protection do you get for your business name if your logo is just stylized text of the name, like a special font or specific colors? I’ll be covering that next. Subscribe to get notified when that and the rest of the videos in this series drop!

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).
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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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