Foundation · Step 5 of 7
Protect what makes you different.
Register your brand and original work now, so you have legal standing if someone trades on it later.
Saves time
Trademark classes suggested for your business, direct links to the official search, and a filing timeline from examiner review to renewal.
Saves money
Fees are shown up front (about $350 per trademark class, about $65 for a copyright collection), so you can budget before you file.
Solid footing
Your copyright notices and an inventory of what you own are ready before anyone copies you, plus a cease-and-desist template for when they do.
The 2 activities in this step
Each one hands its answer to the next, so you never start from a blank page.
Activity 1
Trademark
Prepare to register your brand name.
The usual way
Learning trademark classes and timelines from scratch, or skipping it until a conflict appears.
With ViableBrand
Suggested classes for your business, a guided practice exercise, a link to the USPTO search for the real check, and a timeline of what happens and when.
You walk away with: Your classes chosen, the costs known and a filing plan.
Activity 2
Copyright
Inventory and protect your original work.
The usual way
Assuming everything is protected automatically and having no record of what you own.
With ViableBrand
List your assets, check what's eligible, group works into a collection, and generate copyright notices with author details from Formation.
You walk away with: An asset inventory, ready-to-use copyright notices and a registration plan.
What comes in
Your name from Brand and your company details from Formation.
What goes forward
Protected assets you can point to in your pitch and on launch day.
Nothing is filed from ViableBrand and no official database is searched here. Search the USPTO yourself and consider an IP attorney before filing.
Protect your edge.
Your first Blue Ocean report is free, with no card needed. Every step of the journey, including this one, lives in the Founders Hub.
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