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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