Trademarks are an essential tool for brand building and product and service differentiation. Not only do they help your business attract attention, but they can also play an important role in forging a strong association between your overall brand and the products you sell.

When it comes to intellectual property, even the smallest businesses should be concerned with protecting their trademarks and ensuring they are not infringed upon. However, common misconceptions about how trademark law works can often lead companies to overlook the importance of trademark protection, which can lead to time-consuming and costly legal battles further down the road.

If your business is currently using unregistered trademarks, here are three reasons why you should start the registration process today.

Registration Provides the Highest Standards of Legal Protection

Registering a trademark is the only way to guarantee it is legally recognized as your intellectual property. Technically, as soon as you start using a trademark, you have a common law claim to ownership over it. But a common law claim does not provide nearly as robust a protection of your intellectual property as trademark registration does, and without an extensive trademark search, it is impossible to determine whether or not your trademark is infringing on someone else’s intellectual property.

This opens you up to potentially costly infringement lawsuits from other companies and can damage the reputation of your brand. For this reason, it makes sense to register all your trademarks with the appropriate intellectual property office.

Trademark Registration Makes Growth Easier

It’s easier than it has ever been to start your own small business, and for many entrepreneurs in 2019, opening an Amazon shop is an excellent way to leverage the power of one of the world’s largest retailers to build your brand and enhance your customer base.

But it is impossible to open an Amazon shop without registering your trademark first, so if this is an option you are considering and you need help with your trademark registration, you should get in touch with a trademark expert who can help you navigate the registration process as soon as possible.

Registration is Essential for Trademark Licensing

Registering a trademark doesn’t just protect your trademarks from infringement and expand the markets in which you can operate; it also opens the door for you to license your trademarks for use by other companies.

If you have trademarked products that other companies want to sell, you can draw up a licensing agreement that will allow them to use your trademarks under certain specified conditions. These arrangements can be immensely profitable for the licensor and can help you grow your brand profile quickly and easily.

However, licensing a trademark is only possible if that trademark has been registered. Given how long the registration process can take, it makes sense to be proactive about registering any trademarks you may want to license in the future.

A distinctive, immediately recognizable trademark can be a powerful sales tool; but if it isn’t registered, it can also be a huge liability. Don’t take chances with your intellectual property — if your company is using unregistered trademarks, get in touch with a trademark expert today to explore ways to register them as quickly as possible.