The end of the year is a busy season for every business. Many companies launch new products, open online stores, or introduce new services during the holiday rush. It’s exciting, but it’s also when costly legal mistakes are most likely to happen.
When you are moving fast, it’s easy to overlook brand protection. Unfortunately, if you do not secure your rights now, you may lose them later.
Here is a simple, practical guide to making sure your new brand is protected in 2026.
- Company registration does not automatically give rise to trademark protection. One of the most common misconceptions is that registering a company protects everything about the business, including its trademark. It does not. For example, if you registered a company called “Green Tree”, and you launched a new drink called “Super Spark”, the name Super Spark needs to be registered as a trademark in order to be protected.
What to do:
Review every product line, trademark or logo you launched. If you plan to keep using it, file for trademark protection as soon as possible.
- The Freelancer Trap: Who Really Owns “Your” Creative Work?
Paying for work does not automatically mean you own it. By default, the creator owns the work unless rights are transferred in writing.
What to do:
Review your contracts and ensure you have a signed Transfer of Rights or Assignment.
- Start Collecting Proof of Use Now
Proof of use is evidence showing that a trademark is actually being used in real commercial activity, not just registered. Trademark rights must usually be supported by real-world use.
What to do:
Save product photos, website screenshots with pricing and shipping labels. This evidence can be used if you ever have to defend your mark.
4.Think Beyond Your Home Country
Trademarks are territorial. Protection in one country does not necessarily automatically extend to others.
What to do:
Review where your customers are located and file in growing markets. Or file an international registration and designate territories that are relevant to your business.
- Lock Down Your Digital Doors. Your brand lives online as well as in legal records.
What to do:
Register domain names and social media handles, even if you plan to use them later.
To conclude, protecting your brand early is easier and less expensive than fixing problems later. If you launched something new in late 2025, now is the time to protect it for 2026.
Contact us today for a 15-minute brand checkup.
