There are multiple instances where an individual or company has the ability to trademark the phrase. However this is not just as easy as hiring a lawyer and attempting to get the work done. Anyone who is attempting to trademark the phrase must have a very solid case indicating why they believe they deserve that trademark protection and what type of damage could take place if they don't get it. This brings to light one of the ironies of learning how to trademark a phrase which is the fact that a phrase must be popular or well-known before you can hope to get that protection.

How To Trademark A Phrase

One of the first things to identify is the exact phrase that you want to trademark. This must be a word for word rendition with exact tense as a court is not going to give anyone just a blank check on trademarking every single variation of any given phrase. A great example of this would be from the show "The Apprentice." Donald Trump made the phrase "You're Fired!" a common but easy to identify tagline for the show that was watched by millions.

 

In this situation "You're Fired" is a phrase that could absolutely qualify for a trademark however similar phrases commonly used in the English language such as "You were fired," "You will be fired," or "You have been fired," would not qualify for protection even if the original phrase was actually trademarked. This is an important part of working law dealing with how to trademark a phrase.