With the growing number of people currently on YouTube with their own channels, it is important to make sure that your intellectual property is PROTECTED – especially the name of your YouTube channel.
If you are a YouTuber who is starting to grow an audience, or even if you’re JUST starting out, it is important to make sure that NO ONE else can steal or use your channel name.
Plus, crafty and catchy names for YouTube channels are quite hard to come by.
So if you’re a YouTuber who is currently thinking about trademarking your YouTube name, and how to go about it, you have come to the right place!
In this article, I’ll go over WHY you should trademark your YouTube name, the very obvious advantages, and HOW you can do it.
Why You Should Trademark Your Youtube Name
Trademarking a YouTube name (and your logo) is super important because the number of people on the platform keeps increasing every day.
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YouTube can be a great place to make money if you’re doing it RIGHT – and you will see certain YouTube content creators making a very successful profession out of it mainly through things like AdSense and other brand sponsorships.
All this happens because of your identity on the platform, and that comes through your YouTube name!
Lose the name to some newcomer who trademarked it before you did, and you’ll be legally FORCED to remove and change your name.
So it’s important to trademark your name if you want to stay at the top of your game.
Pros Of Trademarking Your Youtube Name
Here are 4 reasons why you should trademark your Youtube name:
Confirms Legal Ownership Of Channel’s Name
Trademarking your channel name makes sure that it is then legally recognised as YOUR property. This means NO ONE else can ever use that name for their own channel.
You can also trademark your slogans as well – which you might use to promote your channel.
These things will then always belong to you, and will not be used by anyone else to promote their channels or make money through it.
IF you ever find this happening, you can take legal action against them, and make them change.
Opens Doors To Other Revenue Streams
You can also make more money merchandising products and services under the YouTube channel’s name.
Trademarking your YouTube name will also get the attention of big brands that want to use your channel to promote their products.
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This is where you can make big money than the pennies from Adsense.
If you have legal ownership of your name and a good subscriber base, bigger brands will sponsor your videos and will keep on doing it.
This is because they are sure that your channel and its followers aren’t going anywhere.
What’s more, you can also use your own trademarked channel name to sell or advertise your OWN products – if you’re running a cooking channel, perhaps a cookbook, or a line of kitchenware.
For example, that’s what MrBeast did with Feastables, his line of chocolates.
Increases Value
If you’re going to sell your channel at some point, you might also want to consider trademarking your YouTube channel name.
This will INCREASE the value of your channel because trademarking will also mean your channel has a reputation.
It’s not easy to put a strict price tag on a trademarked channel, because there are other factors like the number of subscribers to consider.
BUT compared with a regular YouTube channel, a one with a trademarked name will DEFINITELY fetch a higher price when you’re selling it!
To Keep Your Loyal Fans
You will also keep your fans when you trademark your channel name – since they will be able to quickly search you on the platform and find your newest content.
Plus, you will NOT lose your followers to any new copycat YouTubers.
And your followers will also be able to see authentic products and services that you will be advertising using the platform.
How To Trademark Your Youtube Name
Trademarking your YouTube name is not difficult, but it DOES involve a lot of paperwork and a LOT of waiting around.
But the results are ALWAYS worth it.
Prerequisites
First, settle on the name (and a logo or slogan, if you’re trademarking it as well) that is catchy and unique. Because it’s going to be there forever.
Remember you CANNOT trademark something that someone else has ALREADY trademarked. You can check if it’s already trademarked by searching the trademark database.
You won’t be able to use it if they’re currently in the trademarking process as well.
The How-To
I recommend watching a video about this, but I will give you a high-level overview.
First you have to get the application form from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Next, you can collect the proper information about your trademark, and figure out a trademarking strategy, and submit this form. You can talk with a lawyer about this.
Once you submit the CAREFULLY filled out applications, it’s simply a matter of waiting till it gets approved. It might take around 12 months!
If your name has already been trademarked, you will be informed. If that happens you WILL have to change and start over again.
If it gets approved, then you can start using the trademark sign!
