

Trademarking Internet startups - tk12

Was curious to hear your opinion about trademarking newly established startups. Also I would like to hear how people view international domain suffix registration. Does it make sense to do it?
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Shooter
I think a great name is very valuable and should be protected with a trademark
if you can do so and you have the funds. (If your company name sounds like a
Teletubbie's name, don't bother. Instead work on coming up with a better
name.) Trademarks can be very valuable IP and can give you a decent amount of
leverage if used correctly. I've secured startup funding on two occasions just
based on the strength of the company names and the fact that I had trademarked
them. Trademarks are also something you can usually do yourself, whereas
patents almost always require professional help. It's a cheap investment.

We used to always get a few international domains (.uk, .au, etc.), but we
don't do it anymore unless we are actually establishing a physical presence in
those countries. It is otherwise a waste of time and money. The .COM version
is highly prized and will work for international customers just as well as a
country-specific suffix.

