How do you make sure your new logo isn't already taken?

[mPeror]

Hi,

I'm paying a design firm to create a simple logo for my new site.

I'm worried about the fact that there's a chance the designers could make me something that looks like another logo that already exists.

I don't to use it for months/year then get a letter from a company telling me that I'm using the same or a similar logo.

Is there anyway I could avoid this? or at least cover my back legally?

[bvarvel]

You'll need a clause in your agreement with your designed that protects against prior use. The only way to guarantee your logo (in the U.S. anyway) is to trademark it, and then more importantly, to protect it. It CAN be a costly process.

[Pacifer]

Trademark it for the major market(s) you will be operate in. There are seperate registers for each country, however EU got a shared one. It may take a while to get registered. It took me 7 months last time I registered in my national register and the cost where USD 420,-.