Short, plain-English guides from a practicing trademark attorney.
The distinctiveness spectrum — and why the best brand names mean nothing at all.
Deep dive · 9 minDescriptiveness, confusion, surnames, deception — the full list of reasons the USPTO can say no.
Deep dive · 11 minThe DuPont factors that decide whether two marks can coexist.
Deep dive · 7 minRegistration isn’t the finish line. Miss §8, §9, or §15 and you can lose everything.
Basics · 5 minTwo different tools for two different things — and the overlaps that trip people up.
Basics · 3 minUsing the wrong symbol is a small mistake with real consequences.
Basics · 6 minTrademark, copyright, patent, and trade secret — how to tell them apart, and where they overlap.
Deep dive · 6 minTwo ways to protect how a product looks — and how to choose between, or combine, them.