How to legally own a word?
Asked by: Mathew Willms | Last update: April 13, 2026Score: 4.2/5 (19 votes)
If you have a word, phrase, product or service that you want to own exclusive rights to, you head over to the US Trademark and Patent Office website and put in what you want to trademark to see if it's already taken or able to be trademarked. You can't trademark certain common words.
How can I own a word?
Steps to Trademark a Word: Trademark Application
- Consult a trademark attorney. Trademarking a word is a complex process, so talk to a trademark attorney early in your planning. ...
- Check for eligibility. ...
- Register domain names. ...
- Establish ownership. ...
- File an Intent to Use. ...
- File a Trademark Application. ...
- Pay the filing fee.
Can I buy the rights to a word?
Yes, you can register your word brand as a trademark in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, provided it meets the statutory requirements for a registration. A single word can be a trademark. In the world of intellectual property, the question of whether you can trademark a word is a common one.
Can you copyright a single word?
You cannot obtain a copyright registration for one word. Copyright does not protect names, titles, slogans, or short phrases. A copyright only exists for original works of authorship fixed in a tangible medium of expression. A copyright protects literary, musical, artistic, and dramatic works.
How do you claim a word?
A literary work would include books, poems, magazine articles, blog articles, and scripts for plays. So if you have invented a word, you cannot claim it as your own word that no one else can use. You will need to develop a business selling products or services using the word if you want to claim it as your own.
How to File a Trademark in 2025 | Low Cost (Step-by-Step)
Can a single word be trademarked?
Can you trademark a word? The answer is actually, “Yes!”—but not just any word. If you invented it and use it to identify your goods or services, you can. There are many examples of this, along with cases where challenges to trademarked words have succeeded.
What word did Kim Kardashian try to trademark?
Kim Kardashian is again brewing up a social media storm – this time over her application to trade mark the word “Kimono” for her new range of shapewear.
Is it worth trademarking a phrase?
Is it Worth it to Trademark a Phrase? If you are using a catch phrase, tag line, or sales line with your goods or services, then yes, it is almost always worth it to trademark that phrase if it is available.
What is the 3 month rule for copyright?
Copies of all works under copyright protection that have been published or distributed in the United States must be deposited with the Copyright Office within 3 months of the date of first publication.
Does it cost to trademark a word?
How much is the filing fee to register a Trademark or Service Mark with the California Secretary of State's Office? The fee for filing a Trademark or Service Mark is $70.00 per classification code per mark.
How much does a 20 year patent cost?
The full cost of obtaining and maintaining a U.S. patent over 20 years is in the range of $20,000 to $60,000. This sum is influenced by the type of technology being patented; the number of claims and drawings included in the application; the number and nature of rejections from USPTO; filing fees, etc.
Is it better to trademark or LLC?
An LLC will help to protect your personal assets if your business is sued, while a trademark will prevent others from using your brand identity without permission. By ensuring that you have both types of protection in place, you can help to safeguard your business against legal challenges and competitors.
How to get a word patented?
Filing a trademark application for a word is the most basic type of trademark application. The word must be in use in commerce in relation to goods or services.
Can Chatgpt write a patent?
It takes in your prompt—what you type—and gives back a bunch of words based on patterns in the data it was trained on. That means if you ask it to “write a patent,” it can write something that looks like a patent. It can mimic the format, the tone, and even include some legal-sounding language.
Is Taylor Swift's name trademarked?
Is the Taylor Swift name trademarked? Yes, the name Taylor Swift is trademarked. Taylor Swift trademarked her name in 2007 and currently owns more than thirty trademark registrations for her name.
What's it called when you own a word?
What is a trademark? While copyrights protect creative works, trademarks provide you with exclusive rights to specific words or symbols associated with your business. Trademarks can protect the use of a company's name and its product names, brand identity (like logos), and slogans.
Does copyright expire?
The term of copyright for a particular work depends on several factors, including whether it has been published, and, if so, the date of first publication. As a general rule, for works created after January 1, 1978, copyright protection lasts for the life of the author plus an additional 70 years.
What is proof of copyright ownership?
In practical terms, a copyright registration certificate serves as key evidence in court. The registration form, along with the deposited copy of your work, acts as definitive proof of your authorship and ownership as of the date specified in the certificate.
What are the 5 key elements of copyright?
This overview will introduce you to copyright through five key concepts: Work, Ownership, Infringement, Exceptions, and Balance.
How to coin a phrase legally?
6 Steps to Trademark a Phrase
- Step 1 – Come Up With an Original and Unique Phrase. ...
- Step 2 – Make Sure Nobody Else is Using the Phrase. ...
- Step 3 – Choose the Appropriate Class and Filing-Bases For the Trademark. ...
- Step 4 – Consult With an Attorney. ...
- Step 5 – Submit a Trademark Application. ...
- Step 6 – Wait.
How long does a trademark last?
Trademarks do not have expiration dates.
A federal trademark lasts 10 years from the date of registration, with a potentially unlimited number of 10-year renewal terms. So, every 10 years, the owner of a federal trademark registration must renew it with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
Can someone steal my logo if it's not trademarked?
If your logo is registered with the USPTO (U.S. Patent and Trademark Office), you have a strong legal foundation to stop others from using it. But even without registration, you may still have common law rights if you've been using the logo consistently in commerce.
What words cannot be trademarked?
What Words Cannot Be Trademarked?
- Generic Terms. (Example: “Coffee” for a coffee shop) ...
- Descriptive Terms Without Distinctiveness. (Example: “Best Miami Plumber”) ...
- Geographically Descriptive Names. (Example: “Orlando Roofing Services”) ...
- Surnames (Last Names) (Example: “Johnson Plumbing”) ...
- Common Phrases or Industry Terms.
Who is richer, Kim or Kylie?
Who is the richest Kardashian? As of 2026, it's Kim with a cool $1.9 billion to her name. She's followed by youngest sis Kylie with $670 million, then it's a big step down to the rest of their relatives.
What words did Kylie Jenner trademark?
Kylie sings "rise and shine" to daughter Stormi, the internet explodes. Now she's trademarked it. Read our editor's guess as to why here.