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Guidelines For Registering A Trademark Or Service Mark In North Carolina - North Carolina
| Guidelines For Registering A Trademark Or Service Mark In North Carolina Form. This is a North Carolina form and can be used in Trademark Secretary Of State . |
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OF THE OFNORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT SECRETARY STATE Registering a Trademark or a Service Mark in North Carolina Elaine F. Marshall Secretary of State TRADEMARK SECTION <<<<<<<<<********>>>>>>>>>>>>> 2................................................................................................<<<<<<<<<********>>>>>>>>>>>>> 3 . . . . . . . . . . .A Message from . .The Secretary of State of North Carolina . . . . Each year, thousands of North Carolina businesses market their goods . .and services using a readily identifiable corporate logo. A good logo, i n fact, . .can be a powerful marketing tool to help lead consumers to your doorstep .when they need your products or services. That is why it is so important to . .protect your companys logo and its marketing image through our trade- .mark and service mark program. . . . The North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State is working to .make North Carolina a world leader in trademark and service mark regula- . .tion. Our state trademark and service mark laws have changed dramaticall y . .in recent years, making it easier for businesses to register their marks here. .At the same time, the new laws bring North Carolina into close conformit y . .with federal trademark and service mark regulations. If you intend to ex pand .distribution of your products or services on a national or international scale, . .our trademark and service mark laws help make North Carolina a great hom e .base for your company. . . This manual should give you much of the information you will need to . .obtain trademark or service mark registration for your business logo in North . .Carolina. While the manual is written in clear, easy-to-understand langu age, .we do encourage you to seek competent legal counsel of your own choice i f . .you are at all uncertain about the process of trademark and service mark reg- . .istration. Our Trademark Section experts can help guide you through the reg- .istration process. While our staff cannot provide you with legal advice, you . .can call them at 919 807-2162 with non-legal questions about the mark re gis- .tration process. . . . Trademark and service mark registration is a serious subject. It can als o .be a complicated process to complete. We have tried to provide you with a . .how-to manual that uses humor and straightforward language to make the . .mark registration process less intimidating and more understandable to t he .average business owner or corporate officer. We can be reached at: . . . Trademark Section . NC Department of the Secretary of State . . PO Box 29622 . Raleigh, NC 27626-0622 . . . 919 807-2162 phone 919 807-2215 fax . . trademrk@sosnc.come-mail: . . om.cncoswww.s . . . Welcome to North Carolinas business community. Please remember that . .the N.C. Department of the Secretary of State is here to help you. Were your . .advocate in state government and we look forward to working with you! . . . . . Elaine F. Marshall, Secretary of State . . . Registering a Trademark or Service Mark in North Carolina . . .<<<<<<<<<********>>>>>>>>>>>>> 4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Registering a Trademark or Service Mark in North Carolina. . <<<<<<<<<********>>>>>>>>>>>>> 5 . . . . . . . . . . .Table of Contents . . . . .A Message from N.C. Secretary of State Elaine F. Marshall . . . . . . . . . . . . .i . .Why do I need a service mark or trademark? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 . . .How do I register a mark? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 . .What are these specimens I must file with my form? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 . .What cant be registered as a service or trademark? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 . . .Do I have to register my mark with the federal government? . . . . . . . . . . . .7 . .What is a trade name? What if I want to copyright it? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 . . .What happens after I apply for mark registration? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 . .What happens after my application is approved? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 . . .Once I register a mark, can I sell it to someone else? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 . .What might cause me to lose my mark registration? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 . . .How do I find the classification for my particular product or service? . . . .11 . . .Is there any way I can get into legal trouble with my mark? . . . . . . . . . . . .12 . .What else do I need to know in order to register my mark? . . . . . . . . . . . .13 . . .Appendix A . . Classification of Goods and Services for Mark Registration . . . . . . . . .14 . .Appendix B . . . Chapter 80, North Carolinas Trademark Registration Act . . . . . . . . . .24 . .Appendix C . . . Trademarks and Service Marks Schedule of Fees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 . .Appendix D . . . Trademark/Service Mark Registration & Renewal Form . . . . . . . . . . .38 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . This document was produced by the . . Publications Division of the North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State . . September 27th, 2000 . . . . . Registering a Trademark or Service Mark in North Carolina . . .<<<<<<<<<********>>>>>>>>>>>>> 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . Why do I need a trademark or a service mark? . . . . Because you want to make it as easy as possible for your customers to . . find you. You also want to make it as easy as possible for them to remember . you the next time they need the particular product or service you provid e. . . Fifty years ago, people didnt have much choice when it came to purch asing . consumer goods and services. They shopped at the corner market, bought . . gasoline and tires at the filling station down the street and deposited each . . weeks paycheck in the bank on Main Street. Today, we have a staggering . . array of choices when it comes to purchasing any kind of good or service we . . can think of. Thanks to the automobile, television, telephone, and perso nal . computer, were no longer limited to a small geographic area around o ur . . home when it comes to buying what we need or want. . . . The flip side of this new consumer freedom, however, is that businesses . . have to work much harder than they ever have before to attract and keep cus- . tomers. One of the most powerful tools available to
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