Can I own a trademark as an individual?

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Written by Tomas Orsula

Senior Trademark Attorney

Yes, you can own a trademark as an individual. However, it may not always be advisable.

Individual ownership is usually preferred if the person wants to retain the ownership rights and license the use of the trademark to an external company, e.g. a celebrity licensing the use to the producer of their merch. This solution enables them to control the rights to their trademark and gives them flexibility in granting usage rights. This solution also protects the trademark from a business going bankrupt.

Another often-seen reason for individual ownership is doing it solely as a temporary measure while the holder(s) set up a new company or an LLC to which the trademark ownership will be transferred later.

You can learn more about registering a trademark in personal vs business name in this article.

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