If you're an entrepreneur, you know that protecting your intellectual property should be high on your list when it comes to safeguarding your company. However, as a successful business owner, you also know the steps and costs of filing a trademark in the U.S. can be expensive and arduous.
This conundrum can be even more overwhelming for new business owners who want to do everything possible to minimize the price of securing trademarks. They try to handle complicated tasks like trademark registration on their own, which can be a big mistake - especially when juggling the day-to-day tasks of running a business. You may be thinking, "But what about those set-it-and-forget-it services you can find online? All you have to do is plug in your info, and you're done." Using pre-made templates for trademark filing can be tempting, but doing so can leave you with inadequate protection and hurt you in the long run.
So, what is the easiest, most cost-effective route to consider that also minimizes legal risk? The truth is, before you spend money on an online filing service, it's best to consult with a trademark attorney working with clients in Long Beach, CA.
At Sausser Summers, PC, our experienced trademark attorneys can help you understand the trademark process step by step. We can even help with U.S. trademark filing, U.S. trademark responses, and U.S. trademark renewals at a price you can actually afford. That way, you can make an informed decision regarding your business without having to break the bank.
Hiring an attorney can be a daunting task, but at Sausser Summers, PC, our goal is to make the process as simple and seamless as possible for you. That's why we offer a straightforward checkout service. First, you choose your flat fee trademark service and fill out a short questionnaire. Then, we will contact you within 24 hours to discuss the details of our service. From there, one of our experienced trademark attorneys will get to work on your behalf.
Using a trademark attorney for filing in Long Beach, CA, can significantly increase your chances of a successful registration. The U.S. government recommends hiring a trademark attorney to help with your application, and our team of trademark lawyers is dedicated to meeting your needs. In fact, we help ensure your application is filed correctly the first time so you can get on with your life and avoid legal risks.
At Sausser Summers, PC, we work closely with our clients to understand their needs and provide them with sound professional advice. We never offer incomplete services, such as simply filing for registration, because that would leave you open to legal risks. You can rely on us to handle your intellectual property matters, and our flat fee services can help protect your business in a simple, straightforward, and affordable way. It's really that simple.
In terms of filing a U.S. trademark, we provide an easy three-step process to protect your intellectual property:
1. You provide your trademark info to our team via an online form.
2. Our team performs a comprehensive trademark search. This search ensures that no other marks will prevent you from registering your trademark in the U.S. Once performed, we'll send you a legal opinion letter that details our findings.
3. Sausser Summers, PC, files your U.S. trademark application. We are then listed as your Attorney of Record on file. From there, we'll provide ongoing updates regarding the status of your trademark as it works through the registration process.
The bottom line? At Sausser Summers, PC, we give both new and seasoned business owners an easy, efficient, cost-effective way to protect the one asset that sets them apart from others: their name.
At Sausser Summers, PC, we give both new and seasoned business owners an easy, efficient, cost-effective way to protect the one asset that sets them apart from others: their name.
It's not necessary to be a lawyer in order to apply for a trademark. Anyone can submit a trademark application to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). However, registering a trademark involves more than just filling out a form. It's essential to conduct thorough research, accurately identify and clearly explain your trademark to ensure it receives adequate protection. And even after securing a trademark, you've got to monitor it consistently to make sure it's free from infringement.
The big takeaway here is that it's always a good idea to work with a trademark attorney to protect the intellectual property that you've worked so hard to establish. According to the Wall Street Journal, applicants are approximately 50% more likely to secure their trademark than people who file applications on their own. If your trademark application is rejected by the USPTO, you will need to revise and refile it, incurring additional filing fees. To avoid delays and extra costs, it is best to have a trademark lawyer help you get it right the first time.
Great trademark attorneys (like those you'll find at Sausser Summers, PC) will help with every step of filing and enforcing your trademark. Some additional benefits include the following:
Check to see if your proposed trademark is registered by another entity.
Conduct research to see if another business is using the trademark for which you're applying.
Provide advice and guidance on the strength of your trademark.
Draft and submit your trademark applications and application revisions.
Advice and guidance regarding trademark maintenance and protection.
Monitor the market for unauthorized use of your trademark.
Trademark enforcement to protect you against infringement.
Curious whether our trademark attorney services are right for you and your business? Contact Sausser Summer, PC, today. Let's talk about what you need, and how we can help.
Online services, can provide you with basic assistance in filing your trademark. However, they will never be a legitimate substitute for an experienced trademark attorney helping clients in Long Beach, CA.
Although online filing services offer a step-by-step process, they take a one-size-fits-all approach to preparing legal documents. Even their advanced service only provides basic attorney assistance in completing your paperwork and helping with minor roadblocks. Online filing services' disclaimer highlights the many limitations of its services, including the fact that communications are not protected by attorney-client privilege. In addition, online filing services cannot provide advice, explanations, opinions, recommendations, or any kind of legal guidance on possible legal rights, remedies, defenses, options, selection of forms or strategies.
In other words, online filing services can offer you the necessary forms and point you in the right direction, but they cannot customize their services to your specific needs or help you with serious complications that may arise.
For the most comprehensive trademark service and protection, it's always wise to work with highly rated trademark lawyers, like you'll find at Sausser Summers, PC.
Trademarks in the U.S. can last indefinitely, but did you know that clients in Long Beach, CA can file a trademark online, only to lose protection in some circumstances? Trademarks differ from patents and copyrights in that they do not have an expiration date. However, to prevent the cancellation of a trademark, you must maintain it. To ensure that your trademark remains protected, you must actively use it in commerce and renew it with the USPTO every ten years.
The Lanham Act tells us that "use in commerce" is the legitimate use of a trademark in the ordinary course of trade. In other words, you cannot register a trademark solely to reserve the rights to it in the future. In most cases, a trademark must be used continuously in connection with the goods or services it is registered for.
Trademarks are registered with the USPTO and generally need to be renewed every ten years. However, there is one crucial exception that you should be aware of. Within the first ten years of owning a trademark, you must file for renewal between the fifth and sixth year from the date of your initial registration.
During this renewal period, you are required to submit a Section 8 declaration, a specimen that shows how the mark is being used, and pay the required fee. You can also apply for Section 15 Incontestability status, which can strengthen your trademark rights. This application, although not mandatory, can make it harder for others to challenge your ownership of the mark.
After the first renewal, which falls between the fifth and sixth year of ownership, the next renewal filing is due between the ninth and tenth year, and then every tenth year thereafter. In the ninth year you will need to file a Section 8 declaration, attesting to your use of the mark or excusable nonuse. You've also got to file a Section 9 renewal application before the end of the tenth year to keep your registration active.
It is worth noting that the USPTO provides a six-month grace period if you fail to renew your mark within the required time frame, but it is best not to rely on it. If you don't file within the grace period time limits, the USPTO will cancel and expire your mark.
By hiring trademark attorneys helping clients in Long Beach, CA, you can avoid the pitfalls and mistakes that can arise and cause you to lose your rights to the mark that represents it.
In the event that you stop using your trademark and have no plans to resume using it in commerce, it may be considered abandoned by the USPTO. This could result in the loss of your protective rights to the mark. Typically, a trademark is assumed to be abandoned if it has not been used for three years. However, you may be able to refute this presumption by providing evidence that you intend to use the mark again in the future.
In addition to trademark abandonment, you should also be wary of improper licensing. It's important to remember that once you allow someone else to use your trademark, you must keep an eye on how they use it. You should monitor the products or services that feature your trademark to ensure that they meet consumers' expectations in terms of quality. Failure to do so can lead to a "naked" trademark license and the loss of your protective trademark rights.
If you're wondering how you can avoid refiling your trademark, the answer is simple: file it correctly the first time around. Filing a trademark isn't inherently difficult, but when doing so, it's very important that certain aspects are filled out accurately in your application. If any information is missing or incorrect, the trademark application may be considered "void ab initio" or void from the beginning, requiring you to file again.
To avoid this, make sure that the information you provide in the application is accurate and complete, including the ownership of the trademark. For instance, if a corporation has multiple shareholders, it should not file under the President's personal name. The rightful owner should be the one/entity that ultimately controls the trademark and the associated goods/services.
It is also important to ensure that the goods and/or services description is precise. For example, if you sell electronic products, you should not file for research and development services despite having a research and development department. The goods/services description should reflect the goods/services you offer to customers, not the departments within your business.
Additionally, providing accurate dates of first use when filing for a trademark is crucial. The USPTO requires two dates to be specified - the date of first use anywhere and the date of first use in interstate commerce. Contact our trademark law office today to learn more about having accurate dates on your filing paperwork.
At Sausser Summers, PC, we often get questions about how to distinguish run-of-the-mill consultants and others from great trademark attorneys. After all - when you're looking for an attorney to file or prosecute your business trademark, you should know their qualifications. Here are three ways you can separate the proverbial wheat from the chaff when it comes to trademark attorneys.
It's crucial to seek legal advice from a licensed trademark lawyer rather than relying on advice from non-professionals like trademark consultants. The USPTO even recommends hiring an attorney to help with the trademark process. Although trademark consultants may provide advice on trademark availability or name marketability, they cannot file the trademark for you or offer legal advice. According to the Rules of Practicing in trademark cases, "Individuals who are not attorneys are not recognized to practice before the Office in trademark matters." This rule applies to individuals who assist trademark applicants.
When searching for a trademark attorney, it's important to find someone with a strong background in trademark law. Look for an attorney who specializes in this area and has significant experience handling trademark-related cases. Avoid lawyers who don't have expertise in this field, as they may not be able to provide the guidance and support you need.
Ensure your attorney provides updates throughout the trademark registration process to avoid missing deadlines, including responding to any Office actions within six months. Failure to do so can result in trademark abandonment. The USPTO will only correspond with the listed attorney of record, so make sure your attorney keeps you informed.
In summary:
Building your brand and gaining recognition for it is a significant achievement, and it's important to protect it. However, there are certain pitfalls and mistakes that can arise, causing you to lose your rights to the mark that represents it. By working with knowledgeable trademark attorneys, you can avoid these issues and file your trademark successfully.
With an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB), Sausser Summers, PC, offers comprehensive guidance, strategic advice, and reliable representation for a variety of trademark matters. Our attorneys have years of real-world experience and, having registered countless trademarks with the USPTO, provide our clients with individualized representation when they need it most.
If you're looking for skilled, adept, and experienced counsel, look no further than our trademark law firm. Contact us today to schedule your initial consultation and learn how we can help you safeguard your brand.
Emblazoned with a golden snake, these red envelopes traditionally contain "lucky money" as a gift for children during the Vietnamese new year. The year of the snake symbolizes wisdom, intuition and elegance. Photo credit: Julia Goldman By Julia Goldman Per a legend in Chinese mythology, 12 animals raced across...
Emblazoned with a golden snake, these red envelopes traditionally contain "lucky money" as a gift for children during the Vietnamese new year. The year of the snake symbolizes wisdom, intuition and elegance. Photo credit: Julia Goldman
Per a legend in Chinese mythology, 12 animals raced across a great river for their place within the Chinese zodiac.
Described as not the best swimmer, the snake hitched a ride on the horse’s hoof, in secret. Jumping out right at the finish line, the snake scared the horse – securing its sixth place spot.
Jan. 29, 2025 marks the start of the Lunar New Year holiday and the Year of the Snake within the Chinese zodiac’s 12-year cycle.
This Lunar New Year season, celebrate the arrival of spring with four local cultural celebrations across Long Beach, Westminster and Garden Grove.
City of Westminster 2025 Tét Parade:
When: Saturday, Feb. 1 at 8:30 a.m.
Where: Bolsa Avenue and Magnolia St.
Distance from campus: 9.2 miles, ~15 minute drive
Cost: Free to attend
The City of Westminster, which holds the largest community of Vietnamese-Americans outside of Vietnam, will be celebrating their annual Tét Parade this Saturday.
Tét, which translates to “New Year” in Vietnamese, has been celebrated through this parade in Westminster for over two decades.
According to the event’s flyer, the annual celebration typically attracts over 15,000 attendees and 250,000 online viewers internationally to see the city-wide displays of lion dances, floats, marching bands, color guards, martial arts, multi-culture attires and more.
The opening Tét ceremony begins at 8:30 a.m., while the parade itself starts at 9:30 a.m.
Beginning between the intersection of Bolsa Avenue and Magnolia Street, the parade will travel eastbound on Bolsa Avenue before ending at Bishop Place. A full parade route can be found here.
Early arrival and ride share is encouraged.
Long Beach State Lunar New Year Festival:
When: Wednesday, Feb. 13 from 12 p.m. – 2 p.m.
Where: University Student Union Ballrooms
Cost: Free to attend
New Year celebrations of food, crafts and Lion Dancing are coming to the students, faculty and staff of CSULB next week.
The event is hosted by Associated Students, Inc. Beach Pride Events, the Office of Belonging & Inclusion and the Asian, Pacific Islander & Desi Resource Center.
Interested attendees can RSVP here.
UVSA Tét Festival:
When: Jan. 31 – Feb. 2
Friday, Jan. 31 from 4 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 1 from 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 2 from 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Where: Garden Grove Park, 9301 Westminster Blvd., Garden Grove, CA 92844.
Distance from campus: 9.3 miles, ~14 minutes
Price: $9, admission is free on Feb. 1 from 12 – 1 p.m. for visitors dressed in traditional attire
Since 1982, the Union of Vietnamese Student Associations of Southern California has celebrated Tét through a growing showcase of Vietnamese culture, traditions and entertainment.
This year, the festival’s theme is titled “A Spring of Remembrance,” not only to pay homage to the Tét holiday, but to recognize the 50th anniversary of Black April, which reflects the Fall of Saigon.
According to the event’s flyer, the festival attracts nearly 50,000 guests each year and features activities including carnival games, rides, food vendors, a firecracker show and live performances.
For eager competitive eaters, there’s also pho, boba milk tea and sugar cane juice eating and drinking contests.
Additionally, each night of the festival has special activities, with Friday night featuring the Miss Vietnam of Southern California Pageant, Saturday showcasing youth group performances and Sunday holding the festival’s grand concert.
Rideshare is encouraged. Parking and shuttle information is available on UVSA’s website.
2ND and PCH Lunar New Year Celebration:
When: Saturday, Feb. 15 at 1 p.m.
Where: 6480 Pacific Coast Highway Long Beach, CA 90803
Distance from campus: 2.2 miles, ~ 7 minutes
Cost: Free to attend
Red and gold dancing dragons, live performances, a market pop-up and red envelopes (for children) will take over the 2ND and PCH shopping center in mid-February for Year of the Snake, according to the event’s flyer.
Performances begin at 1 p.m. and will last through 3 p.m., while the market goes until 6 p.m., given the weather is ideal.
Attendees with children can RSVP to receive lucky red envelopes.
There are many events and celebrations in Long Beach that the community can enjoy to ring in 2025.Patch StaffLONG BEACH, CA — Whether you had a good or bad year, it's time to kiss 2024 goodbye in Long Beach.From a night dive at the Aquarium of the Pacific to a New Years party with a rock-and-roll edge, the Long Beach community has many ways to ring in the new year.Here is a look at some additional events happening in Long Beach:In the United States, one of the most popular New Year’s Eve tradi...
Patch Staff
LONG BEACH, CA — Whether you had a good or bad year, it's time to kiss 2024 goodbye in Long Beach.
From a night dive at the Aquarium of the Pacific to a New Years party with a rock-and-roll edge, the Long Beach community has many ways to ring in the new year.
Here is a look at some additional events happening in Long Beach:
In the United States, one of the most popular New Year’s Eve traditions is the dropping of the giant ball in New York City’s Times Square. Other U.S. cities have their own versions of this celebration, such as the Peeps Chick Drop in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and the giant Potato Drop in Boise, Idaho.
Nearby in Los Angeles, Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve kicks off at 8 p.m. eastern time. The West Coast line up will feature Dasha and DJ Cassidy’s Pass The Mic Live!, starring Ja Rule, Fat Joe, Slick Rick & Doug E. Fresh, Ernest, HARDY, Kesha, Laufey, Natasha Bedingfield T-Pain and Alanis Morissette, with special guest Reneé Rapp.
The transition from one year to the next is often marked by the singing of “Auld Lang Syne,” a Scottish folk song whose title roughly translates to “days gone by,” according to Encyclopedia Britannica and History.com.
The tradition of New Year’s resolutions dates back 8,000 years to ancient Babylonians, who made promises to return borrowed items and repay debts at the beginning of the new year, which was in mid-March when they planted their crops.
Related: What New Year’s Resolution Did You Keep? How Did You Do It? [Patch Survey]
According to legend, if people kept their word, the pagan gods would grant them favor in the coming year. However, if they broke their promises, they would lose favor with the gods.
Many secular New Year’s resolutions focus on imagining new, improved versions of ourselves.
The failure rate of New Year’s resolutions is about 80 percent, according to U.S. News & World Report. There are many reasons, but a big one is they’re made out of remorse — for gaining weight, for example — and aren’t accompanied by a shift in attitude or a plan for coping with the stress and discomfort that comes with changing a habit or condition.
While many people are familiar with the controversial takes of internet personality DJ Akademiks, whether he’s adding fuel to the flames of rap beefs or jumping in Twitter debates, Akademiks words have recently gotten him into a different kind of hot water.Last week, DJ Akademiks, 35, joined NourGxd, a 15-year-old who works with popular content creator PlaqueBoyMax’s live stream. During the conversation, Akademiks began asking the...
While many people are familiar with the controversial takes of internet personality DJ Akademiks, whether he’s adding fuel to the flames of rap beefs or jumping in Twitter debates, Akademiks words have recently gotten him into a different kind of hot water.
Last week, DJ Akademiks, 35, joined NourGxd, a 15-year-old who works with popular content creator PlaqueBoyMax’s live stream. During the conversation, Akademiks began asking the teenager a series of sexually explicit questions and making “jokes” about sending strippers to the young boy’s house. Just as Nour appeared to be uncomfortable, viewers and social media users were disgusted by DJ Akademiks’ actions.
Also Read:DJ Akademiks accused of rape, defamation in lawsuit
“You can see the kid felt uncomfortable too he kept dodging, and Akademiks nasty a** kept pushing him, and it’s crazy how the kid was talking [about] his age. ‘Like bro… I hope you know I’m 15.. that’s a case’ Kid was literally just tryna play the d*mn game. Smh,” one user said on X, reacting to the video.
Even rap stars like Meek Mill chimed into the conversation, calling out DJ Akademik’s behavior.
“If your a parent go get ya kid’s phone and block this man [DJ Akademiks] he’s grooming children with a very large platform that “kids” like… also attempts to ruin black families and black success daily “ VILLAN IN THE VILLAGE,” Meek Mill tweeted.
In light of the backlash, the 35-year-old streamer addressed the situation during his live stream over the weekend.
“I’ve done a lot of bulls**t up in this game. Trust me. I’ve got mine off. This issue aside – which, again. I am wrong. I will be better. This is a teachable moment. For me, obviously, I got to watch my speech. That’s clear,” Akademiks said. “Definitely a regrettable moment, and we’re going to use it as a teachable moment. Because I don’t think I’ve came this far, built this platform, to be that irresponsible, right?”
Despite his response, Akademiks’ account has reportedly been banned on Twitch because of the controversy (as of this writing his Twitch channel has been disabled due to a violation of Twitch’s community guidelines).
Also Read:What is Twitch? The live-streaming platform you’ve probably seen but never fully understood