I am setting up a web based business and would like to know what steps I need to take to protect my business name and branding tag line.

Let's say the business is XYZ.com and the branding tag line is "Buy clothes for fun".

What do I need to do (if anything) to protect the name and the tag line? Is there a way for me to search if anyone has already trademarked either set of letters?

Thank you!

Hello e:

A trademark isn't just words. It's a distinctive identifiable mark that may or may not include words. In other words, it's your logo. If you design it, it won't match anyone else's.

The tag line is another matter. If they're NOT part of the logo, then they ARE words. If they're original, they need to be copywritten. There MAY be a database of those.

In either case, I'd hire a lawyer to do it for me. It isn't that you CAN'T do it yourself. It's that if a lawyer does it and screws up, you can sue him. If YOU do it and screw up, you're out of gas.

excon