Comments on: Naming a product line pt.68

By: Kimberly Owen

Kimberly Owen — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 18:41:51 +0000

Sure, to navigate the site, go to the side bar on the left side of the home page. Click on "Trademark". Then click on "search TM database TESS". It will bring up the search page. Select "New User form search" .Type in your name and the search results will come up. If you have a common name or common words in your name, you will get a huge amount of results. This is the tedious part. You will click on each name to see the details, including the classification. It takes forever to do, but this way it doesn't cost you anything but time. Remember, this search only covers active trademarks or applications recently filed. Domain names and unregistered names are not covered. The easiest way to cover all bases is to order a search from Thomson, but it will cost $500. http://www.thomsoncompumark.com/do/pid/1 The Thomson report includes domain name searches (as mentioned in another post above), unregistered marks that are in use and registered marks. It also includes any action against pending applications (say if someone is trying to register XYZ and another party objects). I hope this helps. don't get discouraged. It is alot of work, but worth it if you are going to build your brand up.

By: J C Sprowls

J C Sprowls — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 16:34:07 +0000

Lisa,

How about Downtown Brands, Downtown Productions, etc.? There’s so many avenues you can go down, here, e.g.: Domestic Diva, another Downtown Production.

In my case, the Company Name is Declan Steed. There is only one brand that will receive this label – luxury men’s suits. The diffusion line and all subsequent lines may launch at different times; but, will each have their own brand identity.

By: Marie-Christine

Marie-Christine — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 14:47:59 +0000

Let me go back to something that got swept under the rug there… The domain name is also very important. If you have company XYZ Mfg making Picky Bumm, you need to go in business with at least pickybumm.com, so your potential clients can see all you offer, or where to pick it up, or which shows you’ll be at. This is not an option, these days. If you see that pickybumm.com already exists, and is textile related (or not just delivering hot sticky buns by mail), take that as a serious warning and think over your brand. If the precursor is not textiles, consider pickybummskids.com or some such, as long as you’re not already over 60 characters. But don’t even think of pickybumms.net or some such idiocy to confuse the matter.

By: Marguerite Swope

Marguerite Swope — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 13:27:39 +0000

Kim,

Thanks for the info. Can you be more specific about where to go to search once you hit that home page. Garments are class 25–but where do you find the classes? I just couldn’t navigate this site.

Thank you.
Marguerite

By: kim owen

kim owen — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 04:24:44 +0000

Another thing to consider is trademarking…if you are going to spend lots of time, energy and cash on creating a brand identity for your line, make sure you have a right to use that name! Go to http://www.uspto.gov/ and do a search on your name. Garments are Class 25. Almost every conceivable name is taken, you have to be really creative when you name your line. I personally went through 5 different names when naming my children’s line. It was really challenging. I would think up something oh-so clever only to find out 50 other folks had tried to register the name or some variation of it. ( BTW, my corporation name is pretty generic).

I hired a ttrademark attorney to do the work, but you can do preliminary work yourself online. Use the above link, or order a report from Thomson Compumark, about $500, but tells you everything.

Nothing would be worse than working hard to create your brand only to have the name and/or mark already taken, and you are looking at trademark infringement!

By: Lisa NYC

Lisa NYC — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 16:26:31 +0000

this makes a lot of sense. Unfortunately, I’ve already registered my business name as Downtown Joey (same as my product line). And every once in a while I do some girls’ special occasion dresses…I usually sell the girls’ under the label Domestic Diva.

If I keep my main product line Downtown Joey, does anyone have suggestions on a business name change which would include the name “Downtown?”

With friendship,
Lisa

By: Lameka

Lameka — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 06:13:05 +0000

I have read that section of the book a few times but I thought I was doing too much by having my company name and line names different from each other. The analogy you used aboved made it very clear to me. Thanks!

By: dosfashionistas

dosfashionistas — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 16:42:23 +0000

I think this is going to partially depend on how she is and will be selling her product. I totally agree on the business name being something dull and practical. But for a small company, there is value in the product names having continuity. Mothers who buy the infant brand should know immediately that they have picked up something made by the makers of the infant brand, etc. Again, it is part of your brand to be identifiable. Not so important for the Kellwoods, indeed, they don’t want us to be aware that the same people who make Hanna Andersson have anything to do with Sag Harbour. But Hanna Andersson uses the same name on their catalog as goes into the clothing. And it goes into all of the clothing, from infants to adults.

I realize that this just makes the task more difficult, but I think it is a point to consider. At the point that the business goes into the public eye, probably, is the point where everything should be part of the brand id. Picky Woman, Picky Men? Picky Enterprises? Probably just XYZ Enterprises.