How to copyright a word

If you have ever asked yourself how much does it cost to trademark a phrase, according to the current fee schedule on the USPTO, trademark registration fees cost $275 per mark per class. If you need an attorney’s assistance, the cost averages around $1,000 to $2,000.

Two of the most common intellectual property rights are copyrights and trademarks. A copyright protects original works of authorship, and trademarks act as source identifiers. It is unlikely that a single word can be subject to a copyright; however, a trademark might offer the type of protection sought.

What Can Be Trademarked? Phrases, words, symbols, sounds, and even colors are all eligible for trademark protection. Anything that identifies your brand and is used to distinguish your company or goods/services from other companies can be trademarked.

Words, Phrases, or Familiar Symbols

In general, copyright does not protect individual words, short phrases, and slogans; familiar symbols or designs; or mere variations of typographic ornamentation, lettering, or coloring; mere listings of ingredients or contents.

If you don’t officially register a copyright, this is absolutely free. You might need additional intellectual property protection as well, but most copyright protections are free and automatic.

You can trademark a word that identifies your company or your products. Register your trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to protect your trademark throughout the United States. … You don’t have to register a word with the USPTO to get trademark status.

You can not register a trademark for free. However, you can establish something known as a “common law trademark” for free, simply by opening for business. The benefit of relying on common law trademark rights is that it’s free, and you don’t need to do any specific work filling out forms, etc.

Common words and phrases can be trademarked if the person or company seeking the trademark can demonstrate that the phrase has acquired a distinctive secondary meaning apart from its original meaning. That secondary meaning must be one that identifies the phrase with a particular good or service.