FAQs – Trademark
Do I have to register my trademark in any country outside the U.S. if I only do business in the U.S.?
With more and more E-commerce being done on the Internet and with companies posting product informational sites, it is not unusual for a company to be doing business or at least advertising its products internationally, even though a company’s focus might only be the New York tri-state area. For this reason, companies need to plan for expansion and think two steps ahead in protecting their trademarks.
Trademarks are mostly protected on a country by country basis. Thus, even though you register your company’s trademark in the U.S., it doesn’t keep someone from registering your trademark in Mexico, Japan, Canada or Germany, for instance. Such registrations may preclude your company from expanding into such countries. Companies often stumble in disbelief when they learn that a third-party registered their trademark in a foreign country, but such conduct happens every day, especially with marks that are just gaining popularity in the U.S.