How to Deter People from Stealing Your Business Logo
A logo is the combination of pictorial and text content that establishes the identity of a business. A visually compelling logo with meaning is an integral part of brand building. Unfortunately, logos often become the target of intellectual theft.
Theft of intellectual property has always been a concern in the commercial landscape but the internet has exacerbated the issue to the next level. Implementing regulations and compliance directives on the web is always a problem. Hence, online plagiarism and intellectual theft have become commonplace. Nevertheless, there are some measures that might help you in preventing logo theft.
Always Use More Details
A generic logo is more vulnerable to plagiarism. It’s easy to recreate logos with broad and few details with the available graphics software. However, if you add more specific details to it, the likelihood of it being stolen would lessen.
It is also important that you take the services of some experienced digital logo designers and makers. An experienced graphic illustrator can come up with an ingenious design in line with your products/services, your choice of color, and your business personality. These elements would make emulating and/or repurposing your logo hard.
Adding the Suffix of TM
A logo with the small ‘TM’ suffix can also prove to be an effective deterrent in preventing logo theft. Many ‘digital thieves’ refrain from copying a logo when they see a Trademark seal with it. However, adding TM is not a sure-shot way of protecting your logo from getting stolen.
Federal Registration
Once your design contractor completes the logo, ask them to waive the right to use in your favor. Once it happens, you become eligible to have your business logo registered on the federal level. The registration with the Federal Patent and Trademark Office can provide you with maximum protection against any instance of logo theft. Also, make sure that your contract restricts the designer from reselling the logo or creating one that closely resembles with yours.
How to Know If Your Logo Has Been Stolen?
The online landscape is so vast that many times businesses don’t get to know that their logo has been stolen. In other words, they remain oblivious to the loss of business and reputation that they might be facing due to the stolen logo. There are two ways of finding out if your logo is being used by someone else.
Trademark Electronic Research Database
One way to know if you are a victim of logo theft is to search it on the trademark database curated by the Patent and Trademark Office.
Google Image Search
If you are not registered with the federal office, then Google’s image search is an easy and instant way to find out whether someone is using your intellectual property. Upload any of the pictures of your logo in the search bar and let the search engine find similar results.
MK Marketing Services offers logo designing and rendering that remains immune to theft. This is due to the level of detailing present in the logos they craft. Their experts can also guide you better regarding what course of action to take any in case of logo theft.
