The online resources below provide terrific basic information about all facets of trademark law. They cover a range of subjects, from how you get a trademark to begin with and the whole process for registering your rights with the USPTO and in other countries, all the way to infringement and trademark enforcement information. If you dig around these sites and keep exploring, you’ll gain a lot of really useful information, regardless of whether you ultimately decide to hire a trademark lawyer or not.

UNITED STATES PATENT & TRADEMARK OFFICE (USPTO)

• USPTO website
• USPTO “Protecting Your Trademark” publication (PDF)
• USPTO Trademark Basics page
• USPTO Trademarks FAQ page

INTERNATIONAL TRADEMARK ASSOCIATION (INTA)

• INTA “Trademark Basics” page
• INTA “International Trademark Rights” page
• INTA “Fact Sheets” page (various trademark subjects)

OTHER ONLINE RESOURCES

• NOLO’s Trademark Law section
• Digital Media Law Project’s Trademark Law section
• Justia’s Trademark Law section