A trademark logo is nothing but a logo that is protected by the trademark laws. As a business, you must have a logo that represents your identity in the market. Once you create a unique logo for your business, it automatically falls under the protection of Common Law Trademark. This can work for you as long as your business is local and you don’t plan on expanding your brand.
Once you decide to move your business to other cities or states, you must secure the right protection for it. Hence, you must file a Trademark with the USPTO. This article will serve as a quick guide to register a Trademark Logo.
Register a Trademark Logo: Where to start?
First, you need to check if any similar logo already exists in the USPTO database or the local state federal databases. Hence, you need to conduct a comprehensive trademark search. This step is very crucial as it will let you know if you can directly go ahead and start the registration process.
If you find a trademark that is very similar to yours, consider changing your design. Otherwise, the application stands a high chance of facing rejection. Hence, it is wise to spend time and resources in the trademark search.
You might need professional assistance for the same. Consider hiring TMReady for this purpose.
Register a Trademark Logo: Filing with the USPTO
Once you know that your logo (existing or modified) is unique, you can proceed to the filing process.
You have to file the application online with the USPTO using the Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS) portal. You can choose from 2 applications to fill, namely:
- TEAS Plus. This filing option has more requirements up-front when you submit your initial application. Consequently, you need to pay a lower fee of $225 per class of goods/services.
- TEAS Standard. This filing option has fewer requirements up-front as compared to TEAS Plus. However, you will have to eventually fulfill all the application requirements. Also, you will have to pay a higher fee of $275 per class of goods/services.
Fig3. TEAS applications
Picture Courtesy: USPTO
Trademark Registration: Other Important Points
The filing process is pretty direct, but you need to provide an extensive amount of information. This information includes contact information like name, address, and phone number. These particulars are very important because the USPTO will utilize it to ask any questions that they have during the application process. There are other requirements like:
- Classification of the type of items that will be attached to the mark
- A replica of the mark, either in the form of a drawing or image
- Image of goods with the design present, if applicable
- Explanation as to why a trademark is necessary for the entity
Once all of the information is given, and the form filling is complete, you simply need to sign it and submit it.
How Long Will it Take?
Usually, you get your trademark logo complete within 6 to 9 months from the date of filing. However, this holds true only for straightforward cases. The time taken depends on whether your trademark doesn’t have any potentially conflicting marks and all your paperwork is in order. Therefore, the smoother the process, the quicker you get the trademark.
Need Professional Assistance for Registering a Trademark Logo? – TMReady
Your brand name carries a lot of weight and importance to your company. Copycats can confuse customers and damage your brand. Therefore, it is absolutely crucial to secure the necessary protection to prevent that from happening. Also, you’ve already seen that the trademark registration process is not always the easiest of tasks.
TMReady offers the widest and most flexible search coverage. To ensure this, we use the best tools for a Trademark search. Our services also include Advanced AI search and Manual Search. We also want to ensure that our prices are affordable without compromise on quality. Your satisfaction is our guarantee.
To avail our trademark search services, visit us.