You registered your LLC and bought the domain name, so your brand is protected, right? Trademark attorney Jessica Eaves Mathews explains why that assumption is one of the most common and costly mistakes founders make.

In this video, Jessica breaks down the real difference between state business registration, domain ownership, and actual trademark rights, and why none of the first two create legal protection for a brand name. She explains how common law trademark rights work, why they’re limited to the geographic market where a business actually operates, and why federal registration is the only way to protect a brand name nationwide. She also covers a risk most founders don’t expect: buying a domain confusingly similar to an existing federally registered trademark in the same industry can expose the buyer to a cybersquatting claim, not protect them from one.

What’s covered:

• Why an LLC filing does not create trademark rights
• Common law trademarks and their geographic limitations
• Why federal registration matters even without national ambitions
• The real risk of buying a domain without a clearance search first
• What federal registration actually lets you enforce

If you’re not sure whether your brand is protected, set up a call: https://www.leveragelegalgroup.com/contact/