Is it necessary to apply for more than one mark applictions?

This article does not constitute a legal recommendation or can be solely read for informational purposes.

If you have come that far researching this topic, I presume you want to register a trademark. However, single trade mark may actually be viewed as two or more distinguished trademarks (This can be the case, if you apply a stylized print type for your trademark or additional distinctive pictorial components). In that case wording can be considered as one mark, its customization as another, additional design as the third one and the color as the forth mark. As an instance think of a blue oval with the term FORD in it in custom made typeface. This well-recognized mark may be considered as 4 separate brand names:

1. Word FORD
2. Term FORD in a custom made font
3. Term FORD using a customized typeface in oval
4. Word FORD using a customized typeface in oval in blue color

A situation when you in fact have multiple trade mark does not determine it is mandatory to register every single one of its variations. In reality, it could get pretty expensive (government fee is $325 per class of goods or services for one trade mark application). For that reason, if the money is an issue, you must create a strategy to acquire the best strength for your own trade mark from the minimum number of the trademark registrations.

If you have a mark, that combines a term along with a distinctive design, and can spend some cash it is worth to try to register 3 (or even 4 if the color scheme has a substantial role in your mark) different trademarks as in the hypothetical above. If your finances are short, it is usually more appropriate to apply for a word/logo combination. If the logotype happens to be not unique enough to be counted as a mark, your next best choice would be to obtain registration of only for a phrase mark. In that matter, you may adopt and use the word trademark and also not be narrowed to using the trade mark in all other forms later on.

Same with a custom made appearance of a word mark - in case you have enough resources, register a term and a custom made variation as 2 single trade marks. If not, be prepared to try to register solely a word trade mark. You can always file an additional trade mark to obtain protection for any additional elements of your brand.

At the end, if you only have to apply for one mark, come up with the combination, which containes a big number of the original elements. However, bear in mind that the more complicated the trademark happens to be, the less freedom you have to employ the trade mark in a variety of configurations.

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