Trademark guides

Plain answers on registering a trademark in the US, from what it costs to what happens after you file. Every guide ends with a person you can call or email.

Start here

  • Register a trademark with a US attorney. A US-licensed attorney checks your name, files with the USPTO and tracks your deadlines. One itemised total, shown before you pay.
  • How much does it cost to trademark a name?. Your total is the USPTO fee for each class you need, plus the price of the service or attorney who prepares the application.
  • One price. The government fee is in it.. One itemised price for the filing, with the USPTO fee shown on its own line. See what is included and how the USPTO fee works.
  • How long does a trademark take?. Recent USPTO data points to about a year from filing to a final outcome. Your own timeline depends on whether the examiner raises issues and whether anyone opposes the mark.
  • Do I need to trademark my business name?. The law does not require you to register a business name as a trademark. Whether you should depends on where you sell, how much rides on the name, and who else uses something similar.
  • Trademark vs LLC: which first?. An LLC registers a business entity with a state. A federal trademark protects a brand name across the country. They do different jobs, so the right order depends on your situation.
  • TM vs ®: which symbol can you use?. Use TM on a brand you claim, whether or not it is registered. Use ® only for a mark registered with the USPTO, and only for the goods or services in that registration.

How to trademark

  • How to trademark a name. Trademarking a name takes six steps, from the first search to the registration. Each step has its own decisions, and the early ones save the most time.
  • How to trademark a business name. Forming a company and trademarking its name are separate filings. Here is how the business name, the trade name and the trademark relate, and how to file the one that protects the brand.
  • How to trademark a logo. A logo filing protects a particular look. A filing for the name in plain text protects the words. Here is how the two differ and how to choose.
  • How to trademark a phrase. Whether a phrase can be registered depends on how people read it. A saying, a description and a brand can use the same words and get three different answers.
  • How to trademark a slogan. A slogan that stands beside your business name can be a trademark of its own. The quality of the line decides how easy that is.
  • Can you trademark an AI-generated logo?. A logo made with an AI tool can often be filed as a trademark, but copyright and similarity questions need care. Every legal point on this page needs confirming with an attorney.

Choosing who files

  • Should you hire a lawyer or file yourself?. Yes, you can file a trademark application yourself, and some people reasonably do. A lawyer earns the cost where the filing gets harder than the form suggests.
  • How much does a trademark lawyer cost?. Published prices we reviewed for attorney-assisted trademark filing ran from roughly $500 to $1,550 per class, before or including the USPTO fee, depending on the provider. What you get for that range varies a lot.
  • Ways to file a trademark compared. There are four common routes to a trademark filing: file it yourself, use an online filing service, hire a flat-fee attorney or hire a traditional law firm. They differ in who prepares the file and in what costs extra.

After you file

Scams and letters

Classes

  • Trademark classes explained. A trademark class is a category of goods or services. You name each class your mark will be used in, and the USPTO base fee applies per class.
  • Trademark class 9. Class 9 covers downloadable software, mobile apps and electronic devices. It is the class for products customers install or hold, not services you host.
  • Trademark class 25. Class 25 covers clothing, footwear and headwear. Whether a name on a shirt counts as a brand or as decoration depends on how it is used.
  • Trademark class 35. Class 35 covers advertising, business services and retail store services, including online stores. It is common for agencies and online retailers.
  • Trademark class 41. Class 41 covers education, training, entertainment, publishing and events. It is the class for coaches, course creators and media brands.
  • Trademark class 42. Class 42 covers technology services such as hosted software, SaaS, design and IT work. It differs from class 9, which is software customers download.

Applying from abroad

  • Can you register a US trademark from abroad?. Yes. If your domicile is outside the United States, you must use a US-licensed attorney for the application. We work with overseas applicants by email and phone, and we set up calls in your time zone.
  • Register a US trademark from China. A China-based applicant can register a US trademark through a US-licensed attorney. We work by email and book calls around the time difference.
  • Register a US trademark from India. An India-based applicant can register a US trademark through a US-licensed attorney. We work mostly by email and arrange calls that suit your day.
  • Register a US trademark from the UK. A UKIPO registration does not cover the United States. A UK applicant files with the USPTO through a US-licensed attorney.
  • Register a US trademark from Canada. A CIPO registration covers Canada only. To protect a name in the United States, a Canadian applicant files with the USPTO through a US-licensed attorney.
  • Register a US trademark from the UAE. A UAE trademark registration does not cover the United States. A UAE applicant files with the USPTO through a US-licensed attorney.

Patents

  • Apply for a patent with a registered patent attorney. A registered patent attorney or agent prepares and files your application with the USPTO. Four services, a price for our work up front and USPTO fees shown separately.
  • How to patent an idea. An idea alone is not patentable, but a described invention can be. Here are the steps from first notes to filing and what to expect afterwards.
  • Provisional patent application. A provisional application is a first filing that sets a date and gives you 12 months. It is not examined, so what it describes decides what it is worth.
  • How much does a patent cost?. Patent costs come from three places: the attorney or agent, the USPTO and later maintenance fees. Here is what is flat from us and what is extra.
  • Patent or trademark: which do you need?. A patent protects an invention. A trademark protects the name, logo or slogan that identifies who sells it. Many businesses need one, and some need both.

Sellers