How Do You Register Logos With The North Carolina Sec?
Creating a logo (short for “logotype”) that identifies your organization’s goods or services is key to building awareness of your business in the public mind. Registering your logo as a trademark (if you produce goods) or service mark (if you perform services) with the North Carolina Secretary of State affords legal protection from unauthorized use by others in that state. To ensure protection from infringement of your trademark in other states, you should also register your logo with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Start using your logo because before you can register your logo as a trademark, you must begin using it in North Carolina “in the ordinary course of trade.” The North Carolina Secretary of State will require you to provide “specimens” or actual samples (not photocopies) of the trademarked logo showing how it is being used. This can include a letterhead, signage or the packaging of your product. Of course, if your logo is only in use on a roadside billboard, the Secret
