"Just because you can," is rarely a good reason to support a decision that really matters. This principle is no less true in the trademark world than it is elsewhere.

So, relying on your own navigation of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's (USPTO) online search database without also seeking a trademark attorney's competent analysis of the search results, can be a dangerous plan, even though you can go it alone. Likewise, just because you can file a trademark application yourself doesn't make it a smart business decision to avoid engaging a professional with day-to-day working knowledge of all the USPTO nuances and pitfalls.

There are, however, limits on what outside trademark attorneys should do for their trademark owner clients. For example, another decision in the trademark world that really matters, but doesn't get enough attention, is who should sign verified statements filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The Trademark Rules liberally permit certain attorneys, among more obviously appropriate persons, to sign such statements on behalf of the trademark owner...