In this edition of the Affiliate Buzz, host and Instructor of the Affiliate Marketers BootCamp, James Martell, is joined by Andrei Mincov and this week they talk about trademark registration. - what authors, entrepreneurs, and business owners need to know about protecting their intellectual property.

James begins this episode by explaining what you can expect to hear during the discussion, including: what is a trademark, what should a business owner actually protect, when should someone register a trademark, the cost involved, common trademarking myths and rip-offs, and a lot more.

James then introduces his guest, Andrei Mincov, an intellectual property lawyer and the founder of Mincov Law Corporation in Vancouver. Andrei is also author of The Ultimate Insider's Guide to Intellectual Property and has helped authors such as J.K. Rowling, sole entrepreneurs, local and web start-ups, and corporate giants like Sony and Apple.

Trademark Tips from a Local Expert

Next, James asks Andrei to share his personal story. Andrei's career started out in Russia, where he was born. His first case afforded him the opportunity to represent his own father, a famous composer who heard one of his songs being played on the radio without permission.

The process of many appeals not only won Andrei and his father's case, but it also gave Andrei a passion for defending intellectual property. After coming to Canada seven years ago, he continued on that road and now has his own firm.

Then Andrei explains that this episode's topic applies to listeners both from Canada and other countries. That is because there are many international treaties that make it easier for businesses from one country to get the same level of protection in another country.

Andrei defines a trademark as anything that identifies you in the marketplace and tells you apart from others who do the same thing. This could include the name of your business and its products and services, as well as logos and taglines you use to identify those things. Other tips he shares include:

* As soon as you realize there is value in your brand, register your trademark.

* Descriptive trademarks (i.e. fast cars or color printers) cannot be registered as trademarks because it does not distinguish you from others who do the same thing.

* A trademark does not give you the monopoly over a name, but it gives you a monopoly over the association between your business name and your products or services.

* Trademarking is not about the cost, but the value. The cost is minimal compared to what you would spend re-branding if someone else registers the trademark later.

* Having a trademark protects you from anyone else trying to steal your brand.

James asks Andrei to go through the seven steps of registering a trademark. The whole process takes between 13 and 18 months, depending on the country in which you live, and there are any number of variables that could delay or even extinguish the process.

Andrei goes on to explain the fees for registering a trademark. While you could attempt to register your own trademark for as little as a few hundred dollars, hiring an international property lawyer can help you avoid or even prevent problems later.

Making Trademarking Appeal to Business Owners

When Andrei first moved to Canada, despite his experience working with international companies like Sony and Apple, and popular authors such as J.K. Rowling, he found it difficult to find someone who wanted to hire him.

Andrei segues into how this led him to create The Trademark Factory, a unique way to register trademarks for an all-inclusive flat fee that covers everything from start to finish -- with a money-back guarantee.