Form 901--Instructions (Trade or Service Mark Application) The attached form is designed to meet minimal statutory filing requirements pursuant to the relevant code provisions. The form and the information provided are not substitutes for the advice and services of an attorney. General Information Trade and service marks are commonly referred to as brand names, logos or slogans. Trademarks are used to identify tangible goods. Service marks are used to identify services. The term "mark" is used to refer to both trademarks and service marks. Trade names not registrable. "Trade names" are terms used only to identify a business organization, rather than to distinguish the goods or services provided by the business. A company name may be viewed to be merely a trade name, instead of a mark, if it is advertised in such a way that it attracts little attention, is used in close proximity to an address or phone number, or is dominated by the presence of another mark. However, a company name may be registered if it is shown to function as a mark. Effect of registration. The registration of a mark with the secretary of state creates a statewide priority of rights in the mark against any other person who subsequently adopts the same or a confusingly similar mark. Registration also provides "constructive notice" to all persons in the state of Texas of the priority of the registered mark and provides the owner with certain procedural advantages when the owner seeks judicial relief for infringement. For these reasons, it is beneficial for an owner of a mark who does business in Texas to register a mark with the secretary of state. Applicant should conduct a conflict check. Since identical or confusingly similar marks may not be registered by more than one person, a person planning to use or register a mark should take steps to determine whether others have priority of rights to that mark. Although checking the active registrations on file with the Secretary of State can be a useful step, the absence of a conflicting registration on file does not mean that no one else claims priority of rights in the mark. Requirements for Registration Mark Must Be In Use: Registration of marks in Texas is based on actual use of the mark in Texas commerce. For example, before an application can be submitted to the secretary of state, the trademark must be used on a product sold or distributed in Texas, or the service mark must be used in association with services rendered in Texas (during advertising or sale). A proposed mark may not be "reserved" prior to its actual use in Texas commerce or before the submission of a properly completed and filed application. If an application is submitted prior to actual use, registration will be refused, and the processing fee submitted with the application will not be refunded. Mark Must Be Distinctive: Only distinctive words, names, symbols, devices, or logos are entitled to registration. A designation that is primarily a surname, or that is commonly used in describing the product or service, or that directly describes the qualities or characteristics of a product or service is not distinctive on first use and not entitled to registration. For example, the terms "Food & Beverage OnLine" would not be entitled to registration when used in association with "a news and information service for the food processing industry contained in a database" since such terms would be merely descriptive of such a service. However, sometimes a designation that is not inherently distinctive may acquire distinctiveness through at least five (5) years of continuous and substantially exclusive use. Form 901 1 American LegalNet, Inc. www.FormsWorkFlow.com Instructions for Application Type or print in black ink in English, subject to the provisions of § 93.31 of 1 Texas Administrative Code Chapter 93. Use of the application form is recommended, but not mandatory. Submit your application along with a drawing, specimens, and filing fee of $50 per classification: x x x Item 1: by mail to the Secretary of State, PO Box 13697, Austin, Texas 78711-3697; fax with credit card information (Form 807) to (512) 463-5709; or delivery to the James Earl Rudder Office Building, 1019 Brazos, Austin, Texas 78701. The applicant should be the person who owns the mark and controls the use of the mark and the quality of the goods or services. If the applicant is an individual sole proprietor doing business under an assumed name ("d/b/a"), then provide the individual's name, followed by the assumed name of the business. If the applicant is a general partnership or joint venture, then provide the name of the partnership or joint venture. If the applicant is an organized entity, such as a corporation, limited liability company, or limited partnership, then provide the legal name of the organized entity as shown in its formation document (e.g., ABC Business Company, Inc.) Provide the business address of the applicant. (During the examination process, the secretary of state will send correspondence regarding the application to the submitter address provided in the cover letter, envelope, or enclosed check.) If the applicant named in Item 1 is a corporation, limited liability company, limited partnership, general partnership, or other business entity, identify the type of business organization and the state under whose laws the entity was incorporated or organized. Outof-state applicants should also submit invoices or other material demonstrating the sale of goods or the rendition of services in Texas commerce. If the applicant is organized as a general or limited partnership, then provide the names of all general partners. Name and/or Description of the Mark. Describe the mark exactly as it appears in the samples of use and drawing sheet accompanying the application in Item 5A. The description in Item 5A, the drawing of the mark, and the samples of use provided must match. Color Claim. If color is claimed as a feature of the mark, check the "yes" box in 5B. If no color is claimed, check the "no" box in 5B. If the "yes" box is checked, list the color(s) claimed in 5C, and list the location of each color in 5D. The applicant can seek to register only one mark per application; a single application may not be used to register multiple variations or multiple color combinations. Item 2: Item 3: Item 4: Item 5: Item 6: A disclaimer may be included in an original application. Generally, components that are generic or descriptive of