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Trademark primer for Raleigh entrepreneurs: register early, document use and protect trade secrets
Summary
Smith Anderson IP counsel advised startups to treat trademarks as business assets, consider federal registration early, and choose branding that is distinctive rather than merely descriptive; trade secrets and IP assignments are essential.
Catherine Brock, an IP attorney at Smith Anderson, told the workshop that intellectual property is a business strategy that can be monetized, licensed and used to attract investors. “Trademarks are source identifiers,” she said, adding that names, logos, sounds and even fragrances can function as marks.
Brock walked attendees through the basic IP categories—patents (inventions), trademarks (brands), copyrights (original works) and trade secrets…
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