How trademark law applies to your content

- What's the most important thing to you as a creator? Is it your content, or is it your web address and your social media handle? Your content is your brand's foundation, that is true, but how people find and recognize it is also important. You could have a million dope videos, but if there's no web address for people to find them, you can't build a following. Building a following starts with the words you're using to lead people to your content, and that includes your website address, your social media handles, and your hashtags if you use those. These things connect the dots between your audience and you, and trademarks help you protect this relationship. Trademark law protects any word, symbol, slogan or other designation, basically anything that identifies your brand and distinguishes it in the marketplace. Trademark law is super broad. It includes things like colors, motions, and symbols, not just words, though for content creators, words are probably your most important trademarks from brand and business names, domain names, and social media handles to hashtags, taglines, and logos. The phrase "Like so, like that," which one of my favorite influencers, Tabitha Brown, sprinkles throughout her vegan recipe videos, trademarked. The YouTube channel name Ryan's World with more than 30 million subscribers that I can't keep my own kids off of, trademarked, #smilewithacoke, trademarked by Coca-Cola. There's so many ways to use trademarks to protect your brand online. And trademarks aren't only about your use of them, but also about how your followers use them as shortcuts. For example, one of the greatest divisions in America is between Mac people and PC people. You are one or the other. You cannot be both. The word Apple and that little white apple with the bite taken out of it signal an entire reputation. Apple has built a solid relationship with its customers using these two little things. If there was a new company, let's call it Gala, could slap the Apple name or logo on its laptops, this could harm Apple and its customers. If you bought Gala's laptop thinking it was a Mac, then you open it looking for Safari and it isn't there, you'll be upset because you expected one thing and you got another. Apple will be upset too because Gala used their trademarks to steal a sale. The same is true with your relationship with your followers. If you always use a certain handle or hashtag or domain name, these are your followers' shortcuts to your style, your reputation, and your brand. If competing creators start using the same words you're using, they can trade off of your hard work without doing the hard work you've done to build your brand. Trademark law protects you from that. Basically, trademark law protects two sides of the coin, your brand's uniqueness on one side and your follower's expectations on the other side. Don't overlook the words, phrases and other ways you're distinguishing yourself online. So here's some homework for you. Make a list of the unique ways you're setting your content apart to sell things. This is step number one in building your trademark portfolio. This will take your brand to the next level and put you ahead of the game.