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Darrell's Small Business Info Blog

By Darrell Zahorsky, About.com Guide to Small Business Info since 2002

Big Corporations Defend Their Mark

Wednesday May 28, 2008
Copyright_Dispute/Susan LeVan/Getty ImagesFurthest from the attention span of a busy business owner mind is the possible trademark infringement of a business or product name. Why would a big corporation even consider targeting a tiny, local operation?

Diane Kovach's home business, "Pampered Bunz" sold cloth diapers and while she began the process of registering the name, Procter & Gamble took notice. As reported by Patriot News, "I got sick to my stomach, honestly," the Palmyra-area resident said. "I never anticipated my name being a problem with a bigger company. I never in a million years would have anticipated something like that." Now Kovach is stuck with the option of rebranding her business or taking on the giant while spending a load of cash in legal fees.

No matter the size of your business, you run the risk of trademark infringement each time you name a product, service, and your company. Big companies will do whatever is necessary to protect their brand and trademarks. With an ever-growing number of trade names, it critical to take the necessary steps to reduce your risk of trademark infringement.

Comments

April 6, 2009 at 12:58 am
(1) Diane Kovach says:

And yet, it ended up being one of the best things that ever could have happened to my business. I’m happy to report that the business that was “Pampered Bunz” is now found at www.doodlebunz.com and is thriving!

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