Protecting Your Business Name: Why A DBA Is Not Enough

Are you starting a business? Or maybe you have an existing business? The first step for most aspiring entrepreneurs is registration of their new business name with the local secretary of state’s office. If a new business venture uses a name that is not the same as the owner’s personal name, then a DBA – a ‘Doing Business As’ name – may also be registered. 

What is important for a business owner to recognize is that this type of registration is not the same as registering your trademark for that name. The secretary of state’s office will allow multiple businesses to use nearly identical names, as long as the businesses are not offering the same services. 

How To Protect Your Business Name

Your business name is a vital asset for your venture, and if your business reaches customers outside of your immediate geographical area, it’s important to ensure that it is protected beyond your local market. A federal trademark registration through the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office provides protection for a business name outside the immediate geographic area where the business is located. With a federal registration, protection of the brand extends across all 50 US States. 

A Federal Trademark Registration is Better

As a business owner, you will invest in a variety of business assets that display your name and logo, from signage and marketing materials to your website and advertising campaigns. The publicity that you generate for your business through public relations, marketing and advertising campaigns is another deep expenditure that you want to ensure will continue to payoff for many years to come. 

This kind of investment should be protected. Unlike a simple DBA, a federal trademark registration can be used to stop others from using your mark, or a confusingly similar mark, in connection with their business. This is especially vital for competitors in a similar industry. With a protected mark, your competitors will not be allowed to trade on your good reputation to gain customers or threaten your success. 

With over 20 years in the trademark field, we can help you obtain a registration and safeguard your reputation. Contact us today to find out more about how we can help you protect your investment in your business with a federal trademark.