Should I trademark my company name and logo, or just the name?
There can be advantages to registering both a company name and an associated logo as separate trademarks. However, it’s important to note that each filing requires its own government filing fees and processing fees.
If budget is a concern, a more cost-effective option could be to register only the company name. Wrongful use of names is more common than wrongful use of logos. Trademarking a name generally provides broader protection because it prevents any use of the name that causes confusion, even if someone tries to use the name within a unique logo.
When a logo is trademarked, it typically protects the specific shape, orientation, stylization, and sometimes color of that logo. Registering the logo usually prevents others from using that logo or something confusingly similar to it. However, registering the logo may only protect the use of the company name as it is used in that particular logo, and not the use of the name more generally. If a company makes changes to its logo, a new application for the new logo may be required. Logo changes are usually more common than name changes.