One of the biggest fields of study in Literature and Humanities courses around the world is the History of the Novel. Blog publishing is to the 21st century what book publishing was to Europe throughout the Renaissance and into the Enlightenment – the fastest means of distributing information and opinions to avid readers. in this article we share 4 Essential Steps to Trademark Your Blog’s Logo & Identity.
As such, just as we study the trademarking and copywriting process for the History of the Novel, so too may we one day do the same for future “History of the Blog” courses.
With that in mind, here’s how you can be on the “right side of history” by making sure your blog’s name and logo are properly protected under copyright law.
Table of Contents
1. Trademark and Copyright Basics
First, let’s get some of the basics of trademarking out of the way.
Trademarking is the most general term used for most intellectual property and company protection, whereas copyrighting is more particularized to media – think books, shows, films, and yes, blogs. It’s important to note that in the UK, bloggers get copyright protection automatically, without having to apply or pay a fee.
However, US Bloggers can register their blog and file for copyright both online via the Electronic Copyright Office as well as through traditional paper forms with the US Copyright Office.
When applying for a trademark or copyright protection, specificity and uniqueness are essential. Needless to say, simply copyrighting a blog named “My Blog” isn’t unique enough to qualify for copyright protection. The more unique and distinct your blog is from others in its name, logo, and content, the better your chances of your application being successful.
2. Avoid Pitfalls
When applying for any kind of copyright protection, setbacks and rejections can be crushing wastes of your precious time and money. You don’t want that to happen, which is why you’ll want to heed and avoid some of the most common pitfalls.
For one thing, if you think you would like to copyright your blog, do so sooner rather than later. Time is not on your side. The longer you wait, the greater the chances of someone taking your name or logo, or even stealing content before it is protected.
Once you get your trademark, you need to maintain it. Online copyright especially works on a “use it or lose it” basis. After five years, you need to be able to prove that you have constantly maintained and used your copyright, or it could lapse.
Trademarking covers your blog’s name and logo, while copyright refers to the actual written and audio-visual content. Make sure you have both and that, between them, you have everything covered that requires protection.
3. The Case for and Against Copyrighting Blogs
That said, it’s worth asking – is it worth your time to get your blog copyrighted?
Some common arguments against doing so include:
- Just a Hobby: Applying for and maintaining copyright can be costly. If your blog is just a hobby with a few dozen views, it probably isn’t worth the time and expense to copyright it, at least not until or unless it takes off and becomes more than a fun diversion.
- Lack of Enforcement: Do you care enough to enforce copyright? If not, what’s the point of applying for copyright in the first place?
- Legal Battles: On that same point, enforcing copyright can sometimes lead to lengthy legal battles. While this hopefully won’t happen with you, unless you care enough about your blog to defend it legally, if necessary, copyright likely won’t be worthwhile.
However, in many cases, copyrighting your blog isn’t just worth it, but an essential step to make sure your intellectual property remains your own. The main reason for copyrighting your blog is obvious:
- Income: If you intend your blog to be a real source of income, or it has already become that, copyrighting it is essential. Without this protection, people can steal your content, name, and logo, which means stealing your source of income.
4. The Trademarking and Copyrighting Process
Now that you’ve decided it’s worth your while, have made sure that your blog’s logo and name are unique enough, and have avoided some of the most common mistakes, it’s finally time to apply.
To begin with, you’ll need to make sure that the trademark you are seeking is free. Run a trademark search in the UK to make sure your trademark hasn’t already been taken.
Assuming it’s fine, you will then be able to move forward with your application. Remember that the blog’s name and any logo you use are covered separately under copyright and trademark law, so you’ll need to make sure both are covered.”
Go through the application process for everything you wish to trademark or copyright, and then submit the application. Make sure that you have done as thorough a job as possible – again, the clearer your application is upfront, the less you’ll have to worry about rejections and other issues down the line.
Finally, there is the question of lawyers and legal action. Hiring a lawyer to handle the process can take hundreds of dollars at least. However, they are also experts in the field and can help you avoid many of the most common issues, and can likewise help expedite the process.
In addition, they can handle any trademark and copyright disputes or defenses you may have. If you are doing this not as a hobby, but as a career, therefore, investing in professional legal help may be worth it.
For those occasions when a trademark has been taken here are the actions to take if your business name is unavailable for trademark with Trademark Registration
We hope these 4 Essential Steps to Trademark Your Blog’s Logo & Identity have been helpful. Don’t wait until your blog is doing well. Follow these steps to make sure your blog has the copyright protection it needs.
The first step is to Get a Trademark we recommend using Bonamark, just create a free account.
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Author Bio
Lori Wade is a journalist from Louisville. She is a content writer who has experience in small editions and is interested in entrepreneurship and lifestyle. Lori is now engaged in news and conceptual articles on the topic of business.