Applying for a trademark for a DJ name is the same as applying for any other trademark except that you will need to be sure to note in your trademark application that you are disclaiming any rights to generic portions of the name such as the phrases, "DJ" or "MC." Before you apply to trademark your DJ name you must actually be using the name in commerce. Find a copy of a handbill or an advertisement displaying your DJ name so you can provide this information to the United States Copyright Office when asked.

Perform a background search to determine if your proposed DJ name is already in use. Start by searching the United States Patent Office's Trademark Electronic Search System but also search on the Internet and in musician and DJ listings. If your name is already in use your application might be denied or you could face claims of trademark infringement.

Complete a trademark application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, or USPTO. You can obtain a paper application or complete the application online by visiting the USPTO's Trademark Electronic Application System, provided below in the resources. In your application you will be required to provide the USPTO with your name and contact information, applicable dates regarding your name, the wording of your proposed DJ name and a description of the goods and services your name identifies. Under the portion of the application for exclusions you should exclude any generic designators in your DJ name such as "DJ" or "MC." Excluding these designators from the name you are attempting to trademark will heighten your chances of being granted a trademark.

Give the USPTO an example of how your DJ name is being used in commerce. This could include a handbill or you could use a screen shot from a website advertising your DJ services.

Bizfluent

NA/PhotoObjects.net/Getty Images

Submit your trademark application to the USPTO. As of 2012 the filing fee for an electronic trademark application is $275.

Tip

After five years you will be required to renew your trademark registration.

Warning

If another DJ is using your name you should not attempt to apply for a trademark unless you were using the name first or you operate in distinctly separate geographic areas.