Starting an Online Business All-in-One For Dummies®, 3rd Edition

Establishing Registration Yourself

As we point out in the preceding section, establishing your work as your own is as simple as creating it and using it. When you're ready to take the extra step to obtain proof of ownership, you can easily file for a trademark or copyright yourself.

Getting your trademark

You can apply for a federal trademark all on your own. Follow these steps to work through the registration process:

1. Go to the Web site of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office: www.uspto.gov.

   The main page of the site lists current news and information about trademarks and patents. In the middle of the page is a list of topics from which you can choose more information.

2. Under the Trademarks category, click the File Forms Online (TEAS) link.

   This step takes you to the Trademarks Electronic Application System (TEAS) page. The left side of the page contains links to detailed information about enhancements to the system and important notices. The center of the page contains links to the application forms.

   In the Forms section in the center of the page, the Trademark Basics: Start Here link provides complete filing information for first-time filers. You can also access a link that shows you each page in the registration process so that you know exactly which information you need to file. You should visit these links before you start the registration process.

3. In the center of the page, ...