Protect What You’re Building

Your business may be creating intellectual property long before you ever use that phrase. Understanding what you have is often the first step toward deciding what deserves protection.

Intellectual Property

The value in your business is not limited to what you sell.

A business name. A signature program. A logo. A book. A course. A film. Original photography. Written content. A podcast. A training curriculum. A growing brand people are beginning to recognize.

These assets can become an important part of the value of your business and creative work. But different types of intellectual property are protected in different ways, and knowing what you have is often the first step toward deciding what to do next.

At Tonia Fisher IP Law PLLC, we help business owners, creators, professionals, and organizations make sense of those questions and develop a clearer strategy for protecting the work and brands they are building.

Two Different Forms of Protection

Intellectual property is not one thing.

For many clients, the two most relevant areas are trademarks and copyrights. They can exist in the same business and even around the same project, but they protect different things.

01 / TRADEMARKS

Protect the identity behind the brand.

Trademarks help protect the words, names, logos, slogans, and other identifiers consumers use to recognize the source of particular goods or services.

Business or brand names
Product or service names
Logos
Slogans and taglines
Signature programs and offerings
Other distinctive brand identifiers

Explore Trademark Services →

02 / COPYRIGHT

Protect original creative expression.

Copyright protects qualifying original works of authorship, including many forms of written, visual, audiovisual, instructional, and creative content.

Books and written works
Courses and training materials
Photography and artwork
Video and film
Website and written content
Curriculum, podcasts, and recorded content

Explore Copyright Services →

The Same Business May Have Both

Sometimes you need to think about trademarks and copyrights together.

The name of a course may raise trademark issues, while the videos, workbook, slides, and written curriculum inside the course may raise copyright issues.

A publishing company may need to think about trademarks for its brand while also addressing copyrights in the books and other content it publishes.

A filmmaker, educator, consultant, fitness professional, creator, or business owner may have both trademark and copyright considerations within the same body of work.

That is one reason intellectual property strategy should begin with understanding what the asset actually is, who created it, who owns it, how it is being used, and what you are trying to protect.

Strategy Before Filing

Protection starts with clarity.

Not every intellectual property question begins with an application.

Sometimes the first issue is whether a name is available for trademark registration.

Sometimes it is determining who actually owns a creative work.

Sometimes several people contributed to a project and the ownership history needs to be understood before a copyright application can be prepared.

Sometimes a business has several valuable assets and needs to determine which should be addressed first.

Our goal is to help you understand those decisions so that legal protection becomes part of a thoughtful business strategy rather than simply another filing on a checklist.

Legal Services

Choose the path that fits the work.

Trademark Services

Protecting names, brands, and identifiers.

For businesses, entrepreneurs, creators, and professionals who want to evaluate, search, register, or manage trademarks associated with their brands.

Explore Trademarks →

Copyright Services

Protecting qualifying creative works.

For creators, businesses, professionals, and organizations seeking guidance regarding copyright registration, authorship, ownership, and qualifying creative works.

Explore Copyrights →

Not Seeking Legal Representation?

Looking for general intellectual property education?

If you are exploring intellectual property issues but are not ready to engage the law firm for a specific trademark or copyright service, you may want to begin with Tonia Fisher’s educational resources, workshops, and programs.

These resources are designed to help business owners, creators, and professionals better understand intellectual property, ownership, collaboration, and other legal and business considerations without providing individualized legal services.

Explore Workshops & Legal Education →

For legal representation through Tonia Fisher IP Law PLLC, begin with the appropriate Trademark Services or Copyright Services page above.

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Nothing on this site or resources made available are to be considered legal advice. Content and resources provided on this site are meant for educational and informational purposes only. If you need specific legal advice, consult with a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction who specializes in your subject matter. Additionally nothing on this website, downloads, or content available, nor any purchases made on this website, are to be construed as creating an attorney-client relationship with Tonia M. Fisher, Esq. or Tonia Fisher IP Law PLLC. Contacting us via this website does not create an attorney-client relationship. Any information you submit via this website or disclose via email or private message is not protected by attorney-client privilege. You will become a client of Tonia Fisher IP Law PLLC only if, and when, you sign and execute an engagement agreement setting forth the scope of engagement by Tonia Fisher IP Law PLLC, the fee agreement, and other relevant matters. This website may constitute attorney advertising in some locations. Tonia M. Fisher, Esq. is licensed in California and District of Columbia.