Can I copyright my logo instead of trademarking it?

Photo of Jan Buza

Written by Jan Buza

Co-founder of Trama

Copyright and trademark registration protect different things and are not interchangeable.

Copyright protects an original creative work against being copied. It arises automatically upon creation and prevents direct reproduction of the logo. What it does not do is prevent another business from independently creating a similar-looking mark and using it in commerce. Copyright is the right against copying; a trademark is the right against confusing similarity in trade.

For a logo used as a brand identifier, trademark registration is the appropriate protection. Copyright and trademark can and often do coexist for the same logo; having one does not prevent you from seeking the other.

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