If you’ve recently established a business, the first thing you must do is get a trademark for your company name. This protects your brand and ensures that no other business can make profits off your sales by starting a similar business with a similar name. There are several ways to acquire a trademark, and here, we’ll explore the three cheapest ways to get a trademark for your business.
Register a business name in your state
State trademark registration is probably the cheapest way to get a trademark for your company, but you must know that it offers protection only within your state. If you have formed a formal business entity, your business name is already registered in your state. This means other businesses are aware of your brand name, and no other company can be formed in your state with the same name. The fee for business entity formation varies in each state.
In some states, your business name can be registered as a trade name, also known as a “doing business as” (DBA) name, if you operate as a sole proprietorship or partnership. Typically, the fee for registering your company name statewide ranges between $50 and $150, depending on the state.
Trademark a business name with the USPTO
Applying at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is another cheap way to get a trademark for your business. The significant benefit of getting a trademark through the USPTO is that it offers nationwide protection. You can apply for trademark registration online using the Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS). Alternatively, you can file a paper application, but it’s recommended that you do it electronically as there can be a substantial difference in fees. The fees for electronic filing with the USPTO start from $225 per class of goods and services, but they are much higher if you’re filing a paper application.
Use online legal services
Using online legal services is an excellent alternative if you’re not willing to pay considerable fees to a lawyer. Online legal services like LegalZoom.com, Legal-Sherpa.com, Trademarks411.com, and Trademarkia.com can help you file a trademark application. Online services typically advertise fees as low as $150-$200, depending on the kind of services you want. However, this fee is in addition to the filing fee you will be paying the government or the USPTO.
We often stumble across the word “bail” in news or our favorite courtroom dramas. But what does this word actually mean?
In simple terms, bail is an amount that a defendant has to deposit to be released from jail. This money is imposed to ensure that the defendant will return to the court for further proceedings. The bail amount differs across cases and is decided by the judge. The money is returned to the defendant after the case is over.
There are two types of bails, namely, cash and bonds. As the name suggests, cash bails are where one needs to pay the bail amount in cash. At times, these can be comparatively heavy on the wallet than bonds, as they have to be paid entirely in cash. On the other hand, bail bonds or surety bonds are contractual agreements where the bail amount is funded through a third-party or bondsmen as the bail amount charged is expensive, generally, for severe crimes.
How to do bail bonds work?
Like mentioned before, when the bail involves a big figure, defendants can approach a third-party or a bondsman to help them. Such businesses will charge 10% of the bail amount as a fee while they cover the remaining balance amount. The bail bondsmen draft an agreement to make sure that the defendant turns up in the court. In this contract, the bail bondsmen require the defendant to use a collateral in exchange of bail.
Every bail bond agency is different, therefore, what would deem as a collateral will vary accordingly. Typically, an asset of significant value is accepted as a surety. The following are some examples of what can be used as a collateral:
Both, the court and the bail bond agency, establish some conditions for the defendant’s release. The first being that the defendant has to appear in the court for future trials and hearings. Likewise, the defendant isn’t permitted to break any laws before the final verdict. If any of these terms are violated then an arrest warrant will be issued.
The bail bond agency, on the other hand, will ask the defendant to surrender their collateral temporarily. If the defendant doesn’t show up for court proceedings, the agency will have all the rights to track them down. Moreover, if the defendant is nowhere to be found in the next six months, then they will be liable to pay the entire bail amount.
It can be a difficult process for one to get themselves out of custody. The bail system acts as a savior and helps one to get their loved ones out of custody fast. There are a variety of bonds that can secure one’s release from jail. Below are the different types of bail bonds that everyone must know about to help get custody fast.
Cash bond
As the name suggests, cash bonds are cash payments that allow one to get out of jail. In most instances, only cash is accepted by the corrections department. However, in some cases, cashier’s checks or credit cards can also be used to cover cash bails. Most people don’t tend to have large sums of money readily available to give to the correction department as in some cases thousands of dollars in cash are needed to cover bail fast. In such cases, one may have to seek the advice of a bail bondsman for the help they need.
Property bond
Property bonds may not be accepted in all states. However, in states like California, they are used occasionally. Different types of properties can be used, but real estate happens to be the one that is most commonly used. These bonds tend to be quite useful, especially, when one does not have cash available in hand to secure bail. The only drawback of property bond is that it takes time to obtain the same. One can be released from jail within a couple hours with the help of cash bonds. Whereas a property bond is handled directly by the court, there is an assessment of property value that is needed along with court hearing in order to receive the confirmation of the bond agreement. Hence, the whole process takes a span of a few weeks.
Federal bail bond
If one has been jailed under a federal crime, to secure the release, a federal bail bond is needed. Both cash, as well as property, can be used to obtaining federal bonds and they don’t require a bail bondsman. Similar to the property bonds, federal bail bonds are handled by the court directly.