Skip to content


SEO to become a registered trademark

SEO, stands for search engine optimization.  SEO is the process of convincing search engines to send more traffic to your website. The term itself, has been around for over a decade. This apparently comes as news, however, to at least one examining attorney at the United States Patent and Trademark Office. This particular attorney seems to have approved a trademark application on the term "SEO" for one Jason Gambert, out of  Roseville California, as used in association with  "marketing services in the field of computers in the nature of providing marketing services for the benefit of others by compiling advertising campaigns, promotional services, and consulting for customers." In Mr. Gambert’s defense, he has apparently been using the term "SEO" for over a year.

Unfortunately, unlike the savvy USPTO Examining Attorney who prevented Eric Menhart from obtaining a trademark on the term "Cyberlaw" earlier this year, Mr. Gambert looks to have been given the green light. Even more generic than cyberlaw, it is difficult to understand how the examining attorney could have missed the 3.9 million or so Google page results for the term "SEO," combined with the term "marketing." At the very least, you would have thought that she would have at least stumbled upon the website www.seomarketing.com.

Apparently, Mr. Gambert has been attempting to bully/baffle the USTO over this mark since May of last year. For your convenience, Sarah Bird has outlined the entire saga on seomoz.org.  If you are an SEO marketer, there is no need to worry. You will still probably be able to use the term SEO in your marketing. It’s just that as of next month, you will have to pay Mr. Gambert for the pleasure.

HT Anita at Small Biz Trends

Brett Trout

Related posts

Posted in Internet Law. Tagged with , , .