A trademark is a word, design, and/or phrase that identifies the source of a product or service and distinguishes your brand from that of another business.

You can apply for federal trademark registration for various parts of your business, including your brand name, product names, logos, or slogans.

Trademarks protect parts of your business like brand and product names, logos, slogans, and hashtags. Copyrights protect original artistic or literary works such as photos, tv/movie scripts, books, and songs.

A federal trademark gives you exclusive rights to use your mark. It grants nationwide protection and prevents others from using the same or a similar mark in connection with similar products or services.

Without federal registration, it may be difficult to stop others from copying your mark – making it challenging for you to truly own your brand.

The pre-filing process (information gathering, comprehensive search and analysis, and application preparation) takes approximately 3 weeks, depending on your response time and the number of calls necessary to complete your filing.

Once we submit your application to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the entire registration process will be approximately 12-18 months. Though this is a lengthy process, filing before another company typically grants you priority for that mark.

A trademark search will identify potential obstacles to registration and inform you of whether anyone is using a similar mark that could lead to consumer confusion.

Our comprehensive search considers registered marks and pending applications, business listings, state trademarks, domain names, and more. It prevents you from infringing on another company's mark and provides clarity before you submit an application.

Yes, your brand name and logo are different business assets and require separate protection – requiring two applications.

No; unfortunately, there’s no way to guarantee that your mark will be registered. The ultimate decision rests with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Despite this, we will perform a thorough, comprehensive search, provide guidance, and explain the potential risks involved before submitting your application. Since the trademark process can be complex, working with an attorney typically increases your chances of registration.

Yes! Even before you use your mark, you can submit an "intent-to-use" or future use application. This allows you to obtain a priority filing date over other companies even before you launch product or service. It's important to note that before you obtain registration, you'll be required to show proof of use.

Absolutely! We work with clients during all stages of the registration and maintenance processes. See a list of our services here.

It’s not required, but it’s certainly recommended. Your trademarks are an important business asset, and the trademark registration process is very complex. A knowledgeable attorney will be able to identify potential obstacles to registration and determine an appropriate strategy based on your unique needs.

Working with an attorney will also provide peace of mind and save you time as we keep track of deadlines and handle ongoing correspondence with the trademark office until registration.

Yes! Trademark law is federal, so we’re able to help with your trademark matter before the USPTO regardless of your location in the U.S.