Trademark search backlog bit me on a $4k logo project

Back in March I had a client in Denver pay me $4,000 for a logo and branding package, and I skipped the official USPTO search because I was rushing to hit their launch date. Three weeks after we went live, their competitor's lawyer sent a cease and desist over a mark that was filed six months earlier and sitting in the backlog. Now I always run a preliminary knockout search through a paralegal service before touching any design work, but has anyone else dealt with a client who refuses to pay the extra $350 for that step?

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angela_grant10d ago

Guess I'm lucky my screw-ups usually just involve a hose and some smoke, not lawyers. That $350 sounds cheap compared to what I'd pay in panic alone, so good on you for learning the hard way. Clients balking at due diligence always crack me up, like they'd rather gamble your livelihood than their own launch date.