Trademark Registration Process in the U.S.: Fees, Timelines, and Common Mistakes.



Registering for a trademark provides you with legal ownership of your mark as well as protection against others using it. But without understanding the trademark registration process, you may make mistakes and unnecessarily delay the process. This article will provide you with details on the costs, timing, and other general considerations for any applicant before starting the registration process.

The Cost of Registering a Trademark

The cost of registering a trademark will depend on your registration type and your attorney’s fee, if you choose to hire one. Knowing the approximate costs is important to avoid unexpected fees during the registration process.

·       Application Fees:

According to the USPTO's TEAS Plus and TEAS Standard procedures, the registration fees can be between $250 and $350. TEAS Plus is much less flexible compared to TEAS Standard.

·       Attorney Fees:

Hiring an attorney for the trademarkfiling process can give you an extra layer of protection with accuracy on legal matters. However, most lawyers will charge between $500 and $1,500, depending on their experience and your case.

·       Additional Costs:

You may also incur fees for responding to office action requests. Also, you need to give renewal fees after 5- and 10-year intervals, or international filing fees if your business develops a global reach.

The Timeline and Potential Delays After Filing Your Registration

The duration of the registration process will take a minimum of eight months and sometimes up to a year or longer. Even in simple applications, delays may occur from refusals or missing documentation.

Also, USPTO review time and office action time can delay the registration process. Looking forward, you will likely find success if you stay on top of your application, stay organized, and be responsive about follow-up if needed.

Common Mistakes to Avoid While Filing a Trademark

During trademark registration, many applicants make mistakes that eventually lead to a delay or rejection. So, note that knowledge is power, and it could help avoid these hiccups in advance.

·       Skipping the Search

The first significant error that people make is not checking for an existing trademark for the same or a similar name. While it may be tempting to protect your name as soon as possible, applying without searching may open the door to possible conflicts down the line.

·       Wrong Classification:

A second mistake is selecting the wrong class of goods or services. Classifying your goods or services correctly according to the USPTO is critical.

·       Incomplete Applications:

A lot of times, the applicants do not consider minor details in the descriptions, ownership information, or uploading clear documents. So, minor errors like these can cause the entire application to stop progressing during the review stage.

·       Not Responding to Queries:

Timely responding to queries issued by the USPTO will speed up the process. If you fail to respond, or if you respond after the time has expired, the application is automatically abandoned, and you would have to refile.

Conclusion

Doing well in the trademark registration process will save you time, money, and stress. With a sincere and correct registration application, you can have peace of mind that your application will get approved. 


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