By David J. Kozlowski, February 2, 2025
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Registered trademarks are great. They enhance brand recognition and help you and your services be easily associated with the reliability and talent you no doubt provide. But trademark registration can be expensive. How do you know if it’s right for you?
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The Good. Obtaining a registered trademark is a safeguard to your brand identity. It puts competitors on notice that if they improperly use or mimic your brand, you have the legal protections in place to stop them from using your protected mark. Using the registered trademark symbol (®) also adds credibility and publicly signals your commitment to protecting your brand and the value you place in it. By investing in a trademark registration, you protect your business while building long-term value and a competitive advantage.
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The Bad. Failure to register a mark for your logo or brand leaves you open to potentially costly problems. Unscrupulous competitors who copy or imitate your brand identity can confuse the marketplace and claim you don’t own the trademark rights. This may result in missed opportunities or even damage to your reputation.
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The Cost. To properly research and prepare an application that gives you the best chance of successfully obtaining the mark, the cost may be $4,000 or more. While the cost may seem significant, it’s an investment amounting to pennies on the dollar spread over the life of your business.
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The Bottom Line. You are a business. Your talent and voice work is your product. Your reputation and brand is your resume for those looking to hire voice actors. If you are early in your career, your money may be better spent gathering the tools of the trade. But if you are established or offer services under a specific brand or have a specific tagline, you should strongly consider obtaining a registered trademark.
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Dave Kozlowski is a partner at Morrison Cohen LLP, a prominent Manhattan-based law firm with a national focus on legal services for businesses, entrepreneurs, and individuals. Among the firm’s core practices is intellectual property protection, where it assists clients with trademark registration and other essential services. You can reach Dave by email or follow him on LinkedIn.
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From the Society of Voice Arts and Sciences
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