Protecting Your Trademarks on Social Media
Everybody uses social media these days. I mean, even my husband’s great grandma has a social media account now. It’s a great way for people to be able to connect and keep in touch with each other. However, for some people, social media is also a great way to grab images, quotes, and many other things, and post it as their own. This includes your trademark. Let’s face it, nobody likes for their work to be taken and used for others’ gain. So, when it comes to your business, it is important to make sure your trademark is protected on social media.
How can you protect your trademarks on social media though? While Your Trademark Attorney can help, here are a few tips you can apply.
Trademark Your Name, Logo, and Slogan
You read that right. According to a Boston trademark lawyer, to protect what is yours, you have to trademark it. This includes your name, logo and slogan. This identifies it as belonging to you, so that no one else can use it without your permission. With your permission they can use it, but they will have to relate back to you in some way, to let others know that it is trademarked by you. In other words, they will have to give you credit if they want to use it or else, take it down. That’s the legality of it. They cannot use something that doesn’t belong to them without permission.
Register Your Company on Social Media
Since you have trademarked your name, logo, and slogan, it’s time to register your company’s profile on social media. Get your company a verified social media account. This lets everyone know that it’s official, and that this is YOUR account. It’s not a fake. This makes you legitimate on social media, and that’s what people want to see. That verified, registered, check mark beside a brand’s name, shows that you mean business. You can talk with a trademark attorney to make sure that you take all of the necessary steps to register your company, or brand, on social media.
Actively Search for Infringement on Social Media
Part of owning your own trademark and trying to make sure that your trademark isn’t being used without your permission is to actively search social media for infringement. This might seem like a hassle to do, but it’s the only way to keep your trademark from being used, and taken advantage of, when it should not be. Searching all the social media accounts could take time but you can always hire someone for this job alone if you cannot do it yourself.
Social media is a great platform for your business to gain visibility but if you are not too careful, it could be the cause of its downfall. Protecting your trademark on social media requires your time and effort but it’s worth it when you can ensure nobody can use it for their own illegal schemes. Of course, you can always consult your trademark attorney for more effective ways to protect your trademark, especially on social media.
