[Mikey J.]

I'm interested in registering a trademark on my online business name/domain and was wondering if anyone had any info or tips on the process?

I checked out the fee schedule which seems very complex but from what I can tell, it's not that expensive.

Current Fee Schedule
http://www.uspto.gov/go/fees/index.html

Has anyone here ever considered trademarking your site before agressively marketing it?

I was thinking about doing the standard agressive marketing plan, but I'm concerned that people will try and imitate it. And assuming you don't trademark you site, what if someone does it before you but you don't notice until your online business is successful? Could you then be forced to close shop? That's a scary scenario that could lead to lawsuits.

Any thoughts on all of this? Anyone here trademark anything yet? In a way I want to hire a lawyer, but I'm thinking it will be too expensive.

[prokoteinternational]

I didnt even know you could trademark a website...However, our brand name is trademarked in many countries as well as here in the states. I know thaT For Europe, one fee covers 15 countries in the European Union. The only time you really need a lawyer is someone files an opposition for your trademark and then you would to fight back using an attorney...Hope this helps

Michael

[The Stealthy One]

A clarification is in order:

You cannot trademark a Website. A trademark only protects the use of a trade name, color, smell, or logo design.

A copyright protects written works and works of art, such as Websites, books, music, paintings, etc.

A patent protects ideas and processes, such as Amazon.com's 1-Click checkout system, Coca-Cola's recipe, etc.

Hopefully, this information will be of some help.

[Andreas Bard]

I would recommend you to do it, if you have a good name/idea. Then you are safe, it such a "small" fee for it anyway. Do not forget to register all the tld's of your domain also to protect your domainname in that way.

My friend has a store. When searching on google on day he found another store in another state (in sweden you only protect your company name in one state by default) that had taken his name and used it in marketing their store.
He directly sent in the papers to protect it, and luckely he got it. He could have lost it, and that would have ruined his business.

So if your business depends much on your businessname - protect it.

//Andreas