Protecting your startup name: legal guide and trademark registration
Complete guide to legally protect your startup name. Trademark registration, patent office, prior art searches and international protection strategies.
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Why protecting your name is crucial
Without legal protection, your name can be used by competitors. Trademark registration gives you exclusive rights of exploitation.
1. Mandatory prior verifications
Before any filing, perform these prior art searches:
- Patent office database: existing national trademarks
- EUIPO: European trademarks
- WIPO: international trademarks
- Commercial registers: company names
- Domain names: .com and main extensions
2. Patent office filing process
Cost: $190 for 1 class, $40 per additional class
Timeline: 4-6 months for complete registration
Important classes for SaaS:
- Class 9: software, applications
- Class 35: commercial services
- Class 42: computer services
3. International protection
For a startup with global ambitions:
- Madrid System: grouped filing (cost: $653 + taxes per country)
- European trademark: $850 for 27 countries
- Individual filings: strategic countries (USA, China)
4. Monitoring and defense
Once filed, monitor the use of your trademark:
- Automated watch on new filings
- Web and social media monitoring
- Opposition action if necessary