How do you pick a business name that won’t force a rebrand or get you in legal hot water? In this video and post, I share how to check if your business name is taken, why it’s important, and if you can DIY it.
Trademark
How to discover if your business name is safe to use
Is your business name safe to use? Learn how to decide if your business name will land you in legal hot water.
Can I trademark a t-shirt design?
So you come up with an awesome phrase that would be perfect for a mug, a t-shirt, a card, or a hat. Can you run down to the Trademark Office and file a trademark for that phrase? Before you try to trademark a t-shirt design, make sure you check out this week’s episode of Ask Kiff. […]
What can I do with licensed fabric?
What can you do with licensed fabric? Is there a difference between what the legal protections are and what’s practical for your creative business? That’s exactly what we’re going to cover in this week’s episode of Ask Kiff. Watch the video | Read the show notes | Read the transcript Show notes Watch last week’s […]
5 trademark registration steps + how to get the strongest trademark
I’m a big believer in DIY-ing things in your business. I do it all the time and I’m sure you do too. And even though it’s not in my best interest, I often encourage clients to DIY legal projects. And that’s because there are lots of legal projects that DIY-ing or using a service like […]
How to register your trademark at the best time
I’ve had a business crush on Lela Barker for a long time. I love her straight-talking, no-nonsense business advice mixed with her southern charm. So, I was so excited when I learned she was also going to be speaking this year at Craftcation. And Lela did not disappoint. She’s a teaching pro who knows her stuff. (Seriously, […]
Learning the Ropes: Tara Gentile
I’ve had a business crush on Tara Gentile for a long time. As a fellow nerd, I love that she openly talks about her own nerdiness. But the real reason I continue to follow Tara is for her approach to giving business advice. She doesn’t deliver one-size-fits-all advice or shiny quick fixes. She expects you […]
How to do a trademark search + avoid the scary lawyer letter
Doing a trademark search helps assure you’ve got a unique name that won’t infringe on anyone else’s trademark rights. Click through for step-by-step instructions on performing a trademark search AND download your free checklist to help you complete all the steps.
Learning the Ropes: Alyson Stanfield
I first learned about Alyson Stanfield almost nine years ago via Google. I turned to Google because I was helping curate an art show. It was the first show I was taking an active role in the curation and promotion process. And I didn’t want to look like a total idiot when talking to the […]
Learning the Ropes: Jordan Brantley
Jordan Brantley and I have never met IRL, but we’ve got one of those serendipitous online friendships. We both were watching and tweeting along to one of Tara Gentile’s CreativeLive classes. I can’t remember which of us started the conversation, but we connected that day. And after a few Twitter conversations, we started exchanging emails. […]
Trademark Basics: Why we have trademarks + 3 things to consider
We generally associate trademark law with brand owners. But what many people don’t realize is these laws are actually designed to protect us! Yes, once acquired a brand owner has the exclusive right to use the trademark. But the reason we allow them to control the use of a word, phrase, or logo is to […]
