One should also imagine walking into a bank and the reaction the loan officer will have when looking at the logo.
Hey, with a ski mask logo, the teller just might give you money without expecting it back.
; )
On a serious side. One gets a common law trademark when they put the mark on a label. However, one should do a trademark search on logos, avoid using logos similar to others brands in the market. Serious businesses should consider filing a trademark with the trademark office:
In the US this is: https://www.uspto.gov/
This is a great idea. Yes we cover some of these topics in one of our other posts. How do you choose your Business Name?: https://steemit.com/business/@allbusiness/business-101-top-3-websited-to-visit-to-limit-legal-troubles
So, when you buy a logo from a logo service, do they usually perform a trademark search on the logo?
Trademark searches on names is easy. I haven't a clue how one would search a graphic design.
United States Patent and Trademark Office allows for Design Mark or Word Mark searches. Design Marks are harder to pin point but can be done(description searches). I do both. I dont think design companies do the trademark search as they would put liability on themselves for insaccurate searches. Patent/Trademark lawyers can help with searches.
Website https://www.uspto.gov/trademarks-application-process/search-trademark-database
Great information.
A few years ago, I considered using a cut-rate logo designer. The company was essentially creating logos from basic templates. I imagine that the company's process would essentially lead to problems as his customers seemed to end up with essentially the same logo; So, I steered clear.