Q: What Can a Professional Speaker Protect With a Trademark?
Implementing trademark strategy & intellectual property protection in your professional speaking business adds value to your overall body of work, and elevates your reputation and recognition for event planners looking for speakers to book.
What can a professional speaker actually protect with a trademark?
If you're a keynote speaker, workshop leader, trainer, or thought leader, you've probably built a reputation around your name, your expertise, and the ideas you share. But which parts of your professional speaking business can you protect with a trademark, and which need a different type of intellectual property protection?
In this episode, I'm exploring what trademark protection can look like for professional speakers, from your business name and signature frameworks to programs, book series, and keynote titles that become brand taglines. I'll explain the difference between trademarks and copyrights, what generally can't be protected with a trademark, and how your work can evolve into a recognizable brand.
I'll also share examples from established speakers Brené Brown and Mel Robbins, explain why filing early can matter, and help you think strategically about which parts of your speaking business are actually worth protecting. Because even if something is trademarkable, that doesn't mean it's the best investment for your business.
Topics covered in this podcast episode:
The difference between trademark and copyright protection for professional speakers
What you can and can't protect, from business names and personal names to book titles and keynote presentations
How signature frameworks, programs, workshops, and book series can become protectable brands
What professional speakers can learn from Brené Brown and Mel Robbins
Why trademark classes and filing early matter as your speaking business grows
How to decide which names and assets are worth protecting
Why a strategic approach to trademark protection can help you invest in the parts of your brand that matter most
New Here?
I'm Chelsea Fournier—a U.S. trademark attorney for business owners and credentialed professionals who've built something worth protecting. I work with therapists, coaches, consultants, speakers, and other service providers and practitioners who are past the idea stage—established enough that a name, logo, or tagline has real weight behind it.
Trademark work is the whole of my practice, not a service tacked onto something else. Every engagement moves through the same five stages — consultation, search, filing, intent-to-use, and maintenance — and I meet clients wherever they're starting in that process.
→ If you're not sure trademark protection makes sense yet, or just want clarity on timing and cost, the Free Consultation is a no-pressure place to start.
→ If you need to know whether your name, logo, or tagline is actually available, the Trademark Strategy Session and Clearance Report + Call screen for conflicts before you invest any further.
→ If you're ready to protect what you've built, Filing Your Application and the intent-to-use filings that follow get your mark on record the right way.
→ If you already have a registration, Registration & Maintenance keeps it active and enforceable, so the protection holds up long after the paperwork's done.
Wherever you're starting, there's a path that fits. Explore my Services + Flat Fee Pricing Schedule for more details.
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The unedited podcast transcript for this episode of the Trademarks with Chelsea Podcast follows:
This podcast is for educational purposes only and isn't legal advice.
