How can I protect a coaching program’s name and content?
I live in the state of Washington. I created IP for a coaching program and want to protect the name of the program and the content within it. How do I do this?
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Apologies, I believe this message also goes to your email.
For your intellectual property, when you create it, there is actually an automatic (informal) copyright on the materials as soon as you create them.
To register your work, you need to file with the U.S. Copyright Office at copyright.gov.
For the name of your coaching program — that doesn’t fall under copyright protection (which applies to written or artistic works). Instead, names, slogans, and logos fall under trademark law.
To see if your program’s name is already in use, you can search the USPTO (U.S. Patent and Trademark Office) database at uspto.gov. That’s also where you would file to register your trademark.
To register successfully, you’ll need to show:
-
That the name is not currently in use by anyone else, and
-
Proof of its use in commerce (for example, on your website, materials, or sales pages).
You can also have informal trademark protection (called common law trademark rights) through consistent use of the name in commerce, even if it’s not yet federally registered.
I hope this information was helpful. Have a wonderful day!
0
Full Conversation
I live in the state of Washington. I created IP for a coaching program and want to protect the name of the program and the content within it. How do I do this?
Lexi, Chatbot
i understand the importance of protecting your intellectual property. Have you already conducted a search to see if the name of your coaching program is available for trademark registration in Washington?
I have not done a search. How do I do that?
Lexi, Chatbot
Are you looking to protect the content of your coaching program through copyright registration as well?
Yes.
Lexi, Chatbot
Is there anything else the lawyer should know before i connect you? rest assured they’ll be able to help with trademark and copyright protection.
No.
I’ll wait.
Liz
Hi there! My name is Liz and I’ve been an attorney for more than a decade, and I am here to assist with your legal concerns.
So I can best help — for the content, did you write or create all of it?
Please email me with the answer.
Liz
Apologies, I believe this message also goes to your email.
For your intellectual property, when you create it, there is actually an automatic (informal) copyright on the materials as soon as you create them.
To register your work, you need to file with the U.S. Copyright Office at copyright.gov.
For the name of your coaching program — that doesn’t fall under copyright protection (which applies to written or artistic works). Instead, names, slogans, and logos fall under trademark law.
To see if your program’s name is already in use, you can search the USPTO (U.S. Patent and Trademark Office) database at uspto.gov. That’s also where you would file to register your trademark.
To register successfully, you’ll need to show:
-
That the name is not currently in use by anyone else, and
-
Proof of its use in commerce (for example, on your website, materials, or sales pages).
You can also have informal trademark protection (called common law trademark rights) through consistent use of the name in commerce, even if it’s not yet federally registered.
I hope this information was helpful. Have a wonderful day!
Liz
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