San Francisco Trademark Attorneys & Lawyers

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Brig R.

Brig Ricks

153 reviews
I am a senior executive and strategic legal adviser with 19 years of experience providing legal services in international environments. I am a general counsel who can advis... read more
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Monica W.

Monica Winghart

6 reviews
Monica is the founder of Voltage Law and specializes in working with tech, SaaS, consumer products and healthcare industries. Throughout her career, Monica has held leaders... read more
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Liz O.

Liz Oliner

1176 reviews
If you want someone who has gone through the trademark process over and over again, look no further than Liz Oliner. She has filed over 300 trademarks in the last year alone and has practically got the process down to a science. Small businesses and entrepreneurs frequently come to Ms. Oliner for their trademark and brand protection needs.
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Joshua G.

Joshua Garber

285 reviews
Representing notable clients like Tesla and the City of Los Angeles, Josh Garber excels at helping clients with employment and labor laws. Many of his past clients have had great success using Josh for employment agreements and Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE) hearings. With his practical advice, he has even helped clients avoid going to court.
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Rhea D.

Rhea De Aenlle

61 reviews
Rhea de Aenlle is a business-savvy attorney with extensive experience in Privacy & Data Security (CIPP/US, CIPP/E), GDPR, CCPA, HIPAA, FERPA, Intellectual Property, and...
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Jesko O.

Jesko Onken

50 reviews
Licensed in California and Germany, Jesko Onken offers cost-effective legal advice to small and midsize companies. A speaker of German, French, and Italian, Mr. Onken provides services in business law and international legal management. He specializes in entity formation, business contracts, corporate compliance, immigration, licensing, and securities.
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Lon L.

Lon Lazar

16 reviews
Independent attorney specializing in Wills,Trusts, Estate Planning, and General Business Law. Wills, trusts, and estate planning; California business law; civil litigat...
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Mark F.

Mark Foster

9 reviews
I started my Law Firm in 1988. I've been Outside General Counsel to numerous disruptive startups in high-tech, medical device, finance. I've led legal departments for multi...
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Greg D.

Greg Demirchyan

9 reviews
I represent emerging and established companies in various industries including software, IT services, e-commerce, and finance. I advise clients on a broad range of business...
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Joel S.

Joel Siegal

8 reviews
I have been practicing law for over 40 years and have assisted clients in drafting business formation documents and all varieties of contract drafting. I have represented c...
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San Francisco Trademark Lawyers

5.0 
Based on 2087 reviews
Clear Communication - 5.0
Response Time - 5.0
Knowledgeable - 5.0
Meets Deadlines - 5.0
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Legal Tips and Information

 


 

San Francisco Trademark Lawyer

 

Finding the best trademark attorney in San Francisco is crucial when registering a trademark and protecting the value of intellectual property. Filing applications to obtain registrations from the USPTO is a great place to start. Having a trademark attorney in SF on the team with a track record of successfully navigating the complicated world of licensing, strategic branding counseling, entity formation, corporate compliance, and domain name strategy can quickly take a company to the next level of success.

 


 

How a San Francisco Trademark Lawyer Fits into a Startup Team

 

In a new company, a trademark attorney works with founders to assist with developing brands, marketing products or services, developing advertising campaigns, and clearing marks. When disputes arise, the attorney will have the knowledge and background to help untangle them and advise the team as to how they should proceed.

When a brand is threatened by a competitor or when counterfeit items enter the marketplace, the trademark lawyer can manage the initial steps that need to be taken to stop the threat. They can even help the firm hire a specialty lawyer or outside counsel if the problem becomes complicated or outside their scope of knowledge.

The trademark lawyer manages the professional portfolios of the company; both international and national. They also handle IP enforcement and send any necessary cease and desist letters. Their input and advice is often requested as the company develops and creates new marks

They also review instructional materials, manuals, promotional materials, and advertising for compliance and consistency. The trademark attorney’s job is essential to the company’s ability to protect their valuable trademarks as well as their ability to leverage the startup’s brand identity.

 


 

How a San Francisco Trademark Lawyer Helps Startups with Infringement

 

A San Francisco trademark lawyer provides their clientele with a competitive advantage by protecting intellectual property and trade secrets. In this constantly changing marketplace, businesses rely on their trademarks to provide revenue streams through licensing royalties. Intellectual property may also serve the business as collateral for loans.

In the early stages, new ideas and inventions should be evaluated carefully for trademark infringement by a qualified San Francisco trademark lawyer. According to the USPTO a trademark infringement, “is the unauthorized use of a trademark or service mark on or in connection with goods and/or services in a manner that is likely to cause confusion, deception, or mistake about the source of the goods and/or services.”

If a startup founder believes their trademark is being infringed upon by another person or company, they have several choices. First, they’ll need to prove infringement. A lawyer with experience in trademark enforcement can help with this process.

The owner of the trademark can ask for an injunction demanding the defendant cease using the mark immediately. They may also request that the items that bear the mark or infringe upon the trademark be destroyed or forfeited immediately.

If a court grants those requests, a trademark attorney may also advise their client to seek monetary relief that includes the costs of the action and the defendant’s profits. Monetary relief may also include any damages the plaintiff requests for damages sustained by the defendant’s actions.

 


 

What Services Does a San Francisco Trademark Attorney Provide to Emerging Companies?

 

There are many services that San Francisco trademark attorneys provide to help startups properly register their trademarks. The cost of filing a trademark and the time it takes to complete the process varies widely. While individual circumstances determine the time span and cost of a trademark, most take between one and three years from application to registration.

 

Trademark Searches

 

A trademark attorney will provide a trademark search report including a legal opinion that includes a review of any similar marks found during the search. Most trademark attorneys will search the US Trademark Office registrations, Canadian IP Office Trademark registrations, domain names, unregistered marks, and US state registrations.

 

Preparation and Filing of Application to Register Trademark

 

Applications can be filed with the USPTO office either electronically or on paper. There is a reduced filing fee for electronic trademark applications. After the application is evaluated by a USPTO attorney, more documentation may be required, and the trademark attorney can handle these communications, as well.

 

Affidavit of Use After Registration

 

Keeping a patent registration alive requires regular filing of maintenance documents with the USPTO. If a business fails to properly file these documents by the deadlines, their U.S. trademark registration will be cancelled. This worst-case-scenario could be catastrophic for a new company that depends heavily on the value of its intellectual property. Depending on the type of patent, the owner may be required to file a Declaration of Use and/or Excusable Nonuse under section 8 of the Trademark Act between the 5th and 6th year of owning the patent or between the 9th and 10th year of owning the patent.

Common mistakes that startups make when filing their Affidavit of Use After Registration include improperly updating ownership information and verifying that the goods and services included in the registration are actually in use and that any goods and services not in use are deleted.

Filing required paperwork at intervals set forth by the USTPO office is crucial to the life of the patent in question. Business owners and founders must be aware of these requirements and handle them in a timely manner. The process can be time consuming, so it’s a great idea to turn the matter over to an experienced San Francisco trademark lawyer. Failure to file the affidavit of use results in cancellation of the U.S. trademark registration.

The initial filing deadlines, depending on the type of trademark registration, or between five and six years or between nine and 10 years. There is a six-month grace period during which the business can handle any inquiries sent by the USTPO.

 


 

What’s Going on in San Franciso’s Startup Communitty?

 

One of the hottest areas of the world for entrepreneurs, the San Francisco area has a lot to offer aspiring business founders. By some estimates, there are as many as 11,000 startups in San Francisco competing for the area’s resources.

One way to get a feel for what’s going on in the San Francisco startup scene is to attend one of their many startup events. LaunchScale is a great place to meet other startup founders and gain inspiration.

Held in the fall of each year, this dynamic conference attracts the world’s best founders, growth experts, and investors.

Other notable startup events include the Silicon Valley’s Lean Startup Conference Tour, The Startup World Cup, Startup Grind Global Conference, Post Seed, FunnyBizz Conference, and Silicon Valley Open Door Technology Investment Conference.

 


 

How to Navigate the Bay Area Startup Scene

 

San Francisco helps make startup founders’ dreams come true every day. Home to giants like Airbnb and Uber, the Bay Area offers much in the way of resources for aspiring entrepreneurs.

 

Housing in San Francisco

 

Living in the SF area can be expensive when compared to other popular startup hubs. The average rent for a modest two-bedroom apartment in 2015 was over $4,000 per month. Even the suburbs are expensive. The national Zillow rent index in 2015 was $1,364. In San Francisco, the Zillow rent index was $3,162. It’s important to fully understand the cost of living in this area before deciding to relocate. Most renters in the area spend between 45% and 65% of their total take-home pay on housing.

 

Networking in San Francisco

 

Renting a corner in a popular coworking space like NextSPace, PARISOMA, SOMAcentral, Citizen Space SF, Metamoki, or The Hattery is a great way to meet like-minded and well-connected startup founders. Choose a coworking space with other renters who are working in a similar niche and remember to contribute to the culture of the place by participating in as many events as possible.

Some coworking spaces, like Mind the Bridge in the popular SoMA neighborhood offer additional resources to entrepreneurs like advice, mentorship programs, and introductions to angel investors.

Meetup.com is a good place to start when trying to navigate the networking terrain in SF. Starting online is a great way to hone in on local hot spots for like-minded entrepreneurs.

 

Seeking Help with Starting a Business in San Francisco

 

Here are some notable organizations that help specific entrepreneurs get their ideas off the ground in Southern California:

  • Girls in Tech (San Francisco Circle) helps women network, find mentors, and recruit other women in technology fields.
  • Black Founders is an organization that is committed to fostering economic growth and stimulating tech entrepreneurship.
  • General Assembly San Francisco offers paid and free classes for startup founders.
  • Y Combinator invests $120,000 in a large number of startups twice each year.
  • Tumml offers a four-month educational program for companies that aim to solve urban issues.
  • Plug and Play offers co-working spaces, funding, investment opportunities, and incubators across Southern California.
  • Dev Bootcamp is an educational program that takes beginning programmers to full-stack web developers in 19 weeks.
  • Founder Institute offers a part-time four month program that is focused on hands-on learning.
  • Women’s Start Up Lab offers 2-week and 2-month startup programs for female business owners and founders.
  • Creative Convergence Silicon Valley is a 2-day event that offers interactive demonstrations, networking opportunities, and speakers.
  • Pitchforce is a monthly fundraising event geared towards companies in social, big data, finance, biotech, clean tech, medtech, software, and mobile sectors.

There are many aspects to starting a business in San Francisco. Among hot competition, it can be difficult to navigate the terrain of startup resources and make the right decisions for a brand-new business. An expert trademark attorney in San Francisco uses experience and expertise to protect valuable brands and help their clients bypass the expensive and painful trial-and-error method many entrepreneurs and inventors take for granted.

Startup founders should choose a San Francisco trademark lawyer with experience with local and regional laws and use them as a resource to take their business to the next level of success. 

Why use UpCounsel to hire a San Francisco Trademark Attorney?

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Legal Services Offered by Our On-Demand San Francisco Trademark Attorneys

Our experienced San Francisco trademark attorneys & lawyers represent individuals and businesses with everything they need to secure and protect their trademarks. Our attorneys can help individuals with everything from trademark clearance searches to determine whether the desired mark is available for adoption, use, and registration. By reviewing the search reports thoroughly, they can conclusively determine the extent to which a mark is already being used and the potential success of filing a trademark.

Trademark licensing can be complex, but our trademark attorneys have experience drafting agreements on behalf of both licensees and trademark owners - thus allowing you to capitalize on your valuable intellectual property. Our San Francisco trademark attorneys can also draft and file your trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), including Intent to Use and Use in Commerce applications.

Our attorneys can also help protect your trademark around the globe by assisting clients with filing trademark applications under the Madrid Protocol, which allows trademark holders to obtain protection in multiple countries by filing a single application.

If You Need Ongoing Legal Counsel or Ad-hoc Legal Work - We Can Help!

Improve Your Legal ROI with Affordable Trademark Attorneys that service San Francisco, CA.

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This is the most recent 20 reviews out of 863 reviews for Trademarks & Copyrights attorneys in California

Jake Siciliano
5.0
Clear Communication
Response Time
Knowledgeable
Meets Deadlines

Trademark Registration

Jake Siciliano

"This is my second time using Jake. He is easy to work with and communicates very well."

.
Newark, CA,

Ross Brandborg
5.0
Clear Communication
Response Time
Knowledgeable
Meets Deadlines

Register Trademark

Ross Brandborg

"A pleasure to work with!"

.

David Lizerbram
5.0
Clear Communication
Response Time
Knowledgeable
Meets Deadlines

Register Trademark internationally through the Madrid Protocol

David Lizerbram

"David Lizerbram provided excellent legal support for my international trademark needs. He was knowledgeable, responsive, and made the complex process of securing trademarks in multiple countries smooth and manageable. I highly recommend his services for anyone needing expertise in international trademark law."

.
Sunland, CA,

Eric Alspaugh
5.0
Clear Communication
Response Time
Knowledgeable
Meets Deadlines

Register Trademark

Eric Alspaugh

"Eric was amazing. He guided me well through complicated legal matters and was remarkably fast. I highly recommend him."

.
Lakewood, CA,

Lauri Donahue
5.0
Clear Communication
Response Time
Knowledgeable
Meets Deadlines

Using Trademarked Name Naruto in Song Title

Lauri Donahue

"fast and knowledgeable"

.
Los Angeles, CA,

Alexander Nahai
5.0
Clear Communication
Response Time
Knowledgeable
Meets Deadlines

Assist with Other Trademark & Copyright Matter

Alexander Nahai

"An exceptional lawyer who is very knowledgeable, communicates effectively and devoted to securing favorable outcomes for cliens. I would definitely be coming back, highly recommended."

.
Orange, CA,

Troy Krich
5.0
Clear Communication
Response Time
Knowledgeable
Meets Deadlines

Assist with Copyright Infringement

Troy Krich

"Troy is responsive, effective, and efficient!"

.
Lake Forest, IL,

Nathan Wenk
5.0
Clear Communication
Response Time
Knowledgeable
Meets Deadlines

Conduct Trademark Search

Nathan Wenk

"Excellent work by Nathan. He was clear, helpful, knowledgeable, and thorough. Highly recommend."

.
Duck Creek Village, UT,

Ali Shalchi
5.0
Clear Communication
Response Time
Knowledgeable
Meets Deadlines

Trademark Infringement Consultation

Ali Shalchi

"Excellent job, delivered on time. Super professional"

.

Grant Maynard
5.0
Clear Communication
Response Time
Knowledgeable
Meets Deadlines

Trademark Registration Services

Grant Maynard

"Clear communication and fast responses."

.
La Habra, CA,

Samuel Pierce
5.0
Clear Communication
Response Time
Knowledgeable
Meets Deadlines

Trademark Registration

Samuel Pierce

"Very efficient"

.
Redding, CA,

Steven Stark
5.0
Clear Communication
Response Time
Knowledgeable
Meets Deadlines

Register Trademark

Steven Stark

"Steven Stark did a great job with my trademark applications."

.
Los Angeles, CA,

Mandana Jafarinejad
5.0
Clear Communication
Response Time
Knowledgeable
Meets Deadlines

Register Trademark

Mandana Jafarinejad

"Excellent service, clear communication, good understanding. Thanks!!!"

.
Diamond Bar, CA,

Brig Ricks
5.0
Clear Communication
Response Time
Knowledgeable
Meets Deadlines

Assist with Other Trademark & Copyright Matter

Brig Ricks

"We have consulted with Brig a number of times. Solid."

.
Hermosa Beach, CA,

Charis Dorsey
5.0
Clear Communication
Response Time
Knowledgeable
Meets Deadlines

Draft Response to USPTO Office Action (Trademark)

Charis Dorsey

"Had a job that required a quick turnaround, Charis delivered and did an amazing job!"

.
Walnut, CA,

Liz Oliner
5.0
Clear Communication
Response Time
Knowledgeable
Meets Deadlines

Trademark Registration

Liz Oliner

"Loved working with Liz on my Standard US Trademark Package. She was always communicative with any questions or concerns I had and provided prompt updates on the status of the trademark."

.
San Francisco, CA,

Zvi Raskin
5.0
Clear Communication
Response Time
Knowledgeable
Meets Deadlines

Trademark Registration

Zvi Raskin

"This is the fourth time I have used his services. Very fast and communicative. Highly recommended."

.
Los Angeles, CA,

Rebecca London
5.0
Clear Communication
Response Time
Knowledgeable
Meets Deadlines

Trademark Registration

Rebecca London

"Extremely informative and quickly responds to all my questions!! Thank you so much!"

.
San Jacinto, CA,

Neil Park
5.0
Clear Communication
Response Time
Knowledgeable
Meets Deadlines

Trademark Registration

Neil Park

"Neil has been a continuous partner to us. He is excellent."

.
Los Angeles, CA,

Nina Yablok
5.0
Clear Communication
Response Time
Knowledgeable
Meets Deadlines

Assist with Other Trademark & Copyright Matter

Nina Yablok

"It was a pleasure working with Nina. She is kind, empathic, does her best to help, knowledgeable, communicates very well and is quite responsive. I strongly recommend her."

.
Danville, CA,

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How to Trademark a Slogan

  1. Go to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) website.
  2. Check the Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS) database. Make sure the slogan isn't already registered in the same category.
  3. Submit your trademark application. Pay the filing fee.

What Is a Trademarked Slogan?

A trademark is an original symbol or saying that sets apart one product or company from another. Registering a trademarked slogan will make the connection between your message and your brand for customers. This can aid your marketing efforts and add value to your business.

When you trademark a slogan, you have the exclusive

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A copyright is a type of legal protection given to content creators and artists. When a person creates a story, a work of art, or a piece of software, the copyright provides legal ownership of the work. The creator receives exclusive rights to the use and distribution of the work for a set amount of time.

The United States government handles all forms of copyright protection. The nature of copyright has changed rapidly during the internet era. New kinds of content creation are now popular. Meanwhile, existing types of content have changed in form and in distribution model. Despite these novel changes, the general nature of copyright remains the same. 

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A patent citation search is a patent search of the titles that legally protect inventions from infringement and describe in detail how these inventions look and work based on the references they provide. You can search for patent citations on their own or use a patent citation search to enhance a keyword or classification search.

What Is a Citation?

When dealing with citations, there are two primary types: forward and backward, or reverse. While the definition may seem simple, forward citations are actually a derived artifact of reverse citations. The type of citation will depend on the point of view.

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Trade Dress Protection

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What Is Trade Dress Protection?

Trade dress is a term that describes a product or packaging's look and feel. While traditional trademark law protects words and logos, trade dress protects design. A publisher, for instance, might apply for trade dress protection for a book series' design. For trade dress to be protected, the public must be able to identify it through advertising, promotion, and strong sales.

According to the Federal Courts, trade dress protection follows a general rule. It states that the Lanham Act protects registered trademarks as well as unregistered trade dress. For those wanting to sue for

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