When you have ongoing business with a client, it is nice to look out for their interest, especially when it is a trademark or copyright registration that needs constant attention. One thing you don't want to hear is that your client is on the telephone to tell you that someone is infringing on a mark that you registered. That's probably not as bad as missing your anniversary date, but it can have some implications for a long-lasting and fruitful attorney-client relationship.
In the trademark world, 60 percent of the work is accomplished when the mark is filed. The other 60 percent is the vigilance needed to ensure that the mark is not infringed. MarkTrend appears to have a nifty tool that builds a watchtower for you and your client that uses search engines, the common law, domain names, and the USPTO to look for infringement and deliver results to your e-mail box. The site also has a docket and calendar feature to help ensure a mark is timely renewed or that any other action taken on the mark is not time barred.
Good to see this post - I met MarkTend's founder, Michael Kassing, at a local technology networking event here in Sacramento a couple of weeks back.
He walked me through MarkTend's product - it looks like a great tool, I "got it" right away. I also like the fact that Mike built it to accomplish a job he was doing manually anyway.
Posted by: Brett Owens | October 22, 2008 at 03:02 PM