Principal Register

The Principal Register is the location where the United States Patent and Trademark Office records trademarks. The Trademark Act of 1946 defined the Principal Register in Subsection I.

Having a trademark formally recorded in the Principal Register is what provides the owner exclusive rights to use the trademark and other benefits related to protecting the trademark from infringement. These benefits include the right for a trademark owner to bring a legal action against others who are infringing on the owner's trademark and to request that the Patent and Trademark Office prevent imports infringing on the owner's from entering the country. In addition, registration provides for the collection of treble damages and attorney fees in the event a court of law finds that an individual or entity has infringed on a trademark in bad faith.

For an owner to register a trademark in the Principal Register, the trademark must specifically identify a product or service.