Your brand might not be as protected as you think. I’m Julie King with King Patent Law, and today I’m showing you how to audit your trademark protection in 2026. Let’s walk through five critical questions you need to ask about your trademarks. These five questions will help you identify gaps in your trademark protection.
The post Trademark Audit: Is Your Brand Identity Possessed by Someone Else? appeared first on King Patent Law.
Continue Reading Trademark Audit: Is Your Brand Identity Possessed by Someone Else?

This week, I’m talking about something potentially even more valuable that EVERY business has: your intellectual property.
ALL businesses have intellectual property, and for many businesses, intellectual property IS the business. Your brand name, your logo, your proprietary processes, your creative content; they’re often the most valuable assets you own.
Despite all that truth, most business owners have no idea (1) that they have IP, (2) what IP they actually have, (3) whether their IP is protected, or (4) when critical deadlines are coming up.
That changes today.
By the end of this article, you’ll know exactly how to audit…
Continue Reading Beginning-of-Year IP Checkup Checklist: The Annual Exorcism of Business Horror, Part 2

Three contract red flags every business owner should check right now.
Red flag #1: You’re operating under an expired contract. A one-year contract ended, but both parties kept performing. You’ve created legal ambiguity that could blow up in a dispute.
Red flag #2: You have an auto-renewal contract and missed the cancellation deadline.
The post 3 Contract Red Flags that Keep You Stuck in Contract Purgatory appeared first on King Patent Law.
Continue Reading 3 Contract Red Flags that Keep You Stuck in Contract Purgatory

What does “good standing” actually mean for your business?
If you formed an LLC or corporation, your state requires you to file annual reports and pay fees to stay active. If you don’t, your business falls out of “good standing.” Why does this matter? Operating while not in good standing can void your liability protection, prevent you from filing lawsuits, and create problems when you try to get a loan or sell the business.
The post What “Good Standing” Really Means, Why It’s Important, and How Monstrously Easy It Is to Check It appeared first on King Patent Law.
Continue Reading What “Good Standing” Really Means, Why It’s Important, and How Monstrously Easy It Is to Check It

This registered agent mistake could cost your business $thousands$. Every LLC and corporation needs a registered agent: the person or service that receives legal documents on your behalf. Here’s what can happen if the registered agent address isn’t correct.
The post This Registered Agent Mistake Could Cost a Business a Horrifying Amount of Money appeared first on King Patent Law.
Continue Reading This Registered Agent Mistake Could Cost a Business a Horrifying Amount of Money

You’re busy. You don’t have time for a full business audit this month. I get it.
I’m Julie King with King Patent Law, and I’m giving you a 15-minute business health check you can do right now that will prevent so many of the easily preventable legal disasters I see in small business.
The post 15-Minute Business Health Check (to avoid being a zombie business) appeared first on King Patent Law.
Continue Reading 15-Minute Business Health Check (to avoid being a zombie business)

Corporations and LLCs, your business entity might be in trouble, and you don’t even know it. I’m Julie King with King Patent Law, and today I’m showing you three critical corporate housekeeping tasks you need to check right now.
The post Critical Corporate Housekeeping appeared first on King Patent Law.
Continue Reading Critical Corporate Housekeeping

It’s January, and you’re staring at your business like it’s a jigsaw puzzle with missing pieces. You know something needs attention, but where do you even start?
Here’s the reality: most business problems don’t announce themselves with flashing warning lights. They lurk in outdated contracts, expired licenses, and forgotten compliance deadlines. By the time you notice them, they’ve already caused damage—or cost you money.
That’s why January is the perfect time for a business health check. Not because there’s anything magical about the new year, but because it’s a natural moment to pause, assess, and prevent problems before they start.
Continue Reading Beginning-of-Year Business Law Checklist: The Annual Exorcism of Business Horror

The real power in protecting product design is in using design patents and trade dress trademarks together, strategically managing the different requirements and timelines. It’s a two-stage defense that ensures your investment in a unique look pays off for decades.
The post Double Your Design Protection: The 2-Stage Defense of Combining Design Patents and Trade Dress Trademarks appeared first on King Patent Law.
Continue Reading Double Your Design Protection: The 2-Stage Defense of Combining Design Patents and Trade Dress Trademarks

A design patent protects the ornamental appearance of a manufactured item. It provides a 15-year, non-renewable monopoly on that specific look. Trade dress protects elements like a product’s distinctive shape, size, color combination, or packaging layout. Unlike trade dress trademark applications, a design patent application won’t necessarily be rejected just because the look also affects how the product functions, as long as that functionality isn’t essential to how the product works.
The post Trade Dress Trademarks Vs Design Patents, And How Functionality Can Destroy Both appeared first on King Patent Law.
Continue Reading Trade Dress Trademarks Vs Design Patents, And How Functionality Can Destroy Both

What Does Trade Dress Trademark Protection Have That Design Patents Don’t? The long-term protection is the key. Protection can last indefinitely, as long as you continue to use the mark, defend the mark, and submit the maintenance documents and fees to the USPTO. That long life is because the trade dress is a source identifier. It lives on because consumers know the design means a product from you.
Trade Dress protection can be tricky, though, and here are two strict requirements that make it a long-term goal, not a quick fix.
The post The Immortal Product Design Protection: How Trade …
Continue Reading The Immortal Product Design Protection: How Trade Dress Trademarks Outlast Design Patents

The design patent is your initial security vault. It gives you a statutory monopoly to enforce the look of your product against direct copiers for a set term.
What it Protects and How it Works: A design patent protects the ornamental appearance of a manufactured item. This means the specific shape, configuration, or surface ornamentation.
The post The 15-Year Fortress: Why a Design Patent is Your Initial Line of Defense for How Your Prodct LOOKS appeared first on King Patent Law.
Continue Reading The 15-Year Fortress: Why a Design Patent is Your Initial Line of Defense for How Your Prodct LOOKS

When you invent a product, you naturally think about how it works (utility). But the look and feel, the specific aesthetics that make your product stand out, are often the first thing copycats try to steal. Protecting this visual identity requires a strategic, two-stage IP approach that combines the immediate power of a patent with the potentially lifelong protection of a trademark.
The post Beyond the Logo: The Two-Stage Strategy to Lock Down Your Product’s Visual Design (Design Patents & Trade Dress) appeared first on King Patent Law.
Continue Reading Beyond the Logo: The Two-Stage Strategy to Lock Down Your Product’s Visual Design (Design Patents & Trade Dress)