When a web search turned up pages of articles talking about being a “vinyl snob”, decided someone should be “The Vinyl Snob” and with the time spent on our podcast by the same name why not me.
One look at the many pages of the application forms the U.S. Trademark and Patent office requires, easy to see I had to take this to an attorney. Found an online legal service to handle it. Thought it would be a quick and easy process, it took 18 months and involved several attorney consultations.
Having no idea of how this worked I took at face value everything told to me at the start of the process. Couldn’t have just a blanket trademark, had to spell out what it would cover……. A music and talk show about vinyl. Far too vague I was told. After two consults we came up with what is known as a “Class 41”.
“Class 41: Entertainment services, namely, providing an ongoing music and talk show in the field of vinyl records, audio equipment, record stores and record collections and collecting broadcast over television, radio and the entertainment”.
Those thirty two words required three attorney consultations before it was accepted by the trademark office.
At the intake when we started the process, I was also asked if there was anything else we wanted to do and replied we’ll make and sell T-Shirts. Oh, well sir that requires a Class 25 trademark and will be another three hundred dollars. OK? (in way over me head)
At yet another attorney consultation was told that we did not need a trademark to sell our Vinyl Snob T-Shirts and that the Class 25 distinction was if we wanted to have a clothing line and manufacturing arm of Vinyl Snob. We had by that time been approved for the Class 41 Entertainment Trademark and only the Class 25 was holding up the process and was told that if we dropped the Class 25 we were done. However I’d already paid the money and was not going to get it back so I wanted it. Our request was rejected again because we had not proven we had a manufacturing arm of Vinyl Snob. In a last try we took a picture of Dana’s mom Jean wearing a Vinyl Snob T-Shirt and put it up on our store page with the caption, “Mom’s Trust the Vinyl Snob Brand”. Not sure we actually proved the legal point, think the reviewer just had a good laugh and said fine, Class 25 approved.
Now anyone who’s spent any time with me must be nervous knowing I now control a clothing line and for good reason. Never having been known as a slave to fashion, as our first product line, we plan on bringing back “The Regular Guy” look. Two words……. Bowling Shirts!!!
To celebrate our Vinyl Snob Trademark No. 87814279 everything in the store is 20%
off while supplies last. Gotta make lots of room for the new line.
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