Can I trademark sheet music?
No, you cannot trademark sheet music. Trademarks protect the materials used to promote or sell goods and services.
Sheet music is not considered a product, but rather the contents of a product; a suitable comparison would be to the contents of a novel. If you were to create a brand under which you sold a collection of sheet music, you could trademark the name, logo, or slogan of the company. For the actual sheet music, you want to look into copyrights.
If you create a name, logo or slogan for the purposes of selling musical compositions, the trademark would protect the name, logo or slogan, but not the contents of the book. The protected name, logo, or slogan would serve to differentiate your company from any and all competitors so long as it was distinct and specifically associated with your organization.
Trademark, or Copyright?
| Item | Trademark or Copyright? |
|---|---|
| Business Name | Trademark |
| Business Slogan | Trademark |
| Business Logo | Can be both |
| Books | Copyright |
| Manuscripts | Copyright |
| Screenplays | Copyright |
| Movies | Copyright |
| Paintings | Copyright |
| Photographs | Copyright |
| Poems | Copyright |
| Song Lyrics | Copyright |
| Music | Copyright |
If you have any questions regarding trademarking names, logos or slogans, then you should contact our associates today.
Common Trademark Topics for Musicians
- Trademarks for musicians - 5 things to know
- Trademarks and t-shirts
- Trademarking a song
- Trademarks for sounds
- Trademarking a stage name
- Trademarks for YouTube channels
- Trademarking social media usernames
- Trademarking a hashtag
The Process for Trademarking
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About the Author
Xavier Morales, Esq.
Mr. Morales founded his trademark law practice in January 2007 with the goal of providing intellectual property expertise to entrepreneurs and businesses around the country. Since then, he has filed more than 6,000 trademarks with the USPTO. You can learn more about Xavier here.