Three Important Tips to Protect Your Trademark on Social Media
For South Florida businesses, a strong social media presence is a valuable asset. According to data provided by Statista, nearly 80 percent of Americans currently have an active social media account on at least one platform. Just ten years ago, only 20 percent of Americans were on social media.
Many businesses are still adjusting to the changing landscape. Gone are the days when social media was only used by teenagers engaging in banal chatter. Social media platforms are an important forum for marketing, client connection, and brand development. Your company must protect its reputation online. Here, our Miami trademark litigation lawyers offer three tips for protecting your company’s brand on social media.
- Register Your Trademark
There are many benefits that are associated with registering your company’s trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). To start, registering a trademark is a great way to provide a legal foundation for your company to protect its brand name. While trademark litigation may not be that common, your registration will provide a strong, clear basis for your company’s intellectual property rights. A registered trademark is a strong deterrent against infringement.
- Claim Your Brand on the Individual Platforms
In the early days, social media was akin to the ‘Wild West’, where the big platforms only lightly regulated their own services. Things are changing quickly. In recent years, social media companies have taken considerable strides to help individual companies protect and promote their brands on their platforms. Indeed, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Linkedin, Pinterest, and many other major social media platforms have enacted internal policies that prohibit trademark infringement. An account that is infringing on the brand of a business could be banned from a platform. For companies, this is important: Your business may be able to work with the individual social media platforms to claim your trademark and protect your brand.
- Take Immediate Action Against Infringement
If another business, a competitor, or a random troll is infringing on your trademark or damaging your brand on social media, it is imperative that you take immediate action. When it comes to brand protection, companies need to be proactive. Remember, there are no social media trademark police to go out there and put a stop to the infringement.
If you encounter trademark infringement on social media, you should start by raising the issue directly to the specific social media service provider in question. In many cases, reporting the infringement to the social media platform is sufficient to resolve the issue. In other cases, legal action may be required. If your company is having any difficulty with repeated trademark infringement on social media, you should speak to an experienced Florida trademark litigation attorney who can offer legal guidance.
Contact Our Trademark Law Attorneys Today
At Pike & Lustig, LLP, our Florida trademark litigation attorneys have the skills and experience needed to help you protect your brand. If you have any questions or concerns about trademark infringement and social media, we can help. For a fully confidential review of your case, please contact us at our West Palm Beach law office or at our Miami beach law office. We look forward to assisting you.
Resource:
statista.com/statistics/273476/percentage-of-us-population-with-a-social-network-profile/
