Least expensive way to Trademark or Copyright your Store name?

[ZAZKAT]

Least expensive way to Trademark or Copyright your Store name?

Is there only one way? or Multiple ways?

[Maz]

I don’t think you can do it at all.  You can change your store name, easily (and often) if you want.  You can not change your store URL, because that’s permanent.  But it’s all a part of Zazzle.  You don’t own Zazzle.

[Windy]

Which country?

[ZAZKAT]

United States

[idraw]

Trademark a name, Copyright art. There's a difference.

For US Copyright,the United States Copyright Office changed the fees. Copyright is prohibitively expensive now.

For US Trademark:

https://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/basics

<https://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/basics/how-much-does-it-cost>

For US Copyright:

https://www.copyright.gov/eco/help-file-types.html

https://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ04.pdf

<https://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ24.pdf>

https://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ66.pdf

https://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/

https://www.copyright.gov/registration/

https://www.legalzoom.com/business/intellectual-property/trademark-registration-overview.html

[ZAZKAT]

Thank you for the links.

Then are you stating that the store name should be a Trademark and the Designs should be a Copyright?  

Thank you

[idraw]

To simplify, a name/logo can be trademarked, a design can be copyrighted. Just trying to help, not setting myself up as an expert. 🤔👀

Trade mark, your mark that you use in your trade. Does this help clarify it?

Do a search to make sure that the name you are attempting to trademark has not previously been trademarked.

As for your (business or trade) name, you can trademark a name (not talking about Zazzle) and it should still be protected wherever you use it, your own website for example. Another thought,( if I remember correctly and if nothing has changed since 2008 when I joined) when you enter a store name for Zazzle to approve, if it is already in use, you won't be able to use it.

I included the trademark links in my previous reply so that everyone can start to do further research and reading.

[CreativeLeahG]

UK LAW re Trademarks 

I formally registered two trademarks as brands via the UK government Trademark site. The cost can be anything from £150 up depending upon what you choose.

From the linked source:

"Trademarks are issued on a “use-it-or-lose-it” basis"

"There is a register of trademarks (which is kept on a per-category basis) and a trademark only has legal standing once it has been accepted into this register. There is nothing to stop a company using it before then, but it will only have legal protection once the Intellectual Property Office has recognised it. In the UK, this process typically lasts about 4 months (assuming there are no objections)."

Re protecting a design via copyright - it is 'automatic' - BUT it is a grey area regarding any changes made to that design by the other person.

[ameliacarrie]

COPYRIGHT PROTECTION - Here is some advice my friend taught me. She is a copyright and trademark attorney and has worked for Louis Vouitton, Tori Burch, Benefit, Western Digital, you name it and charges $600 an hour.  She stated that the moment you publish your work online it is copyright protected. So, go to the bottom of your product page. Zoom out and then take a screen shot of the page as you want to include the part at the bottom that shows the date and time your design was published to Zazzle. All our products have that. 

TRADEMARK PROTECTION - For me I registered a couple trademarks with the USPTO.  Did it online myself.  One was rejected. One was accepted. The hardest one I had to argue over with the copyright attorney was to Trademark my name Amelia Carrie.  I found the attorney's at the patent office to be very friendly and willing to offer some help for free.  

Good Luck