Barbara Sadler: How Much Does It Cost To Trademark A Logo?

The attorney’s fees is different that the costs of filing. The cost to trademark a logo with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is $225–$600 as of January 2017, plus legal fees. You can register a trademark with your state for -0, but federal registration offers a great deal more legal protection. Call Ascent Law for your Free Consultation and we can guide you on the right path for you.

The USPTO offers four different forms, each with different pricing. If you file online using the Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS), you can choose from three options. File a regular TEAS for $400 or a TEAS RF for $275. You can file a TEAS Plus for $225 if you meet certain terms, such as fitting neatly into one of the standard business groups. Which form you can use will depend on your business and your logo? You can also opt to file a paper form for a flat rate of $600. These fees are valid as of January 2017, according to the USPTO website.

Most businesses also choose to pay a lawyer. A law office can conduct a better search to make sure your logo or business name doesn’t belong to anyone else and can help make sure your application is approved. Lawyers might charge between 0 and 00 to prepare a federal trademark application.

What Is a Logo?

A logo is a design that your company uses on its products, signs, or ads to identify yourself. A logo is often a visual image of your company name, like the logos for Coca-Cola or McDonald’s. Other logos are designs that represent a company without using words, like the Apple logo or the Nike swoosh.

What Is a Trademark?

Trademark offers the legal right to keep others from using your company name, logo or tagline. Any design, symbol, word, or phrase that denotes your business as the source of a product can be protected by trademark. If your company sells services rather than goods, you would use a “service mark” instead of trademark, but most people use the word “trademark” for both.

Federal Trademark

Register your trademark at the federal level by filing an application with the USPTO. Paper applications are accepted, but electronic applications through the Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS) or via an online service are preferred. Using TEAS will save you money; the fees for e-applications are $225–$400, while a paper application will cost you $600. If you use your logo for multiple classes — like if you run a diner and also sell t-shirts — you’ll need to apply once for each class. Filing fees are not refunded if you are not approved.

Global Business Trademarks

Foreign-owned businesses who want to trademark their logos in the United States have three options: A foreign application, a foreign registration, or a Madrid Protocol application.

U.S. based businesses that want to protect their trademarks overseas will need to register with the government in each country where they plan to engage in trade. Holding a federal trademark will make that process easier.
Holding a trademark for your logo offers you protection against imported goods that might bear a similar logo.

Trademark a Business Name with the USPTO

Trademarking a name by applying for a trademark registration with the USPTO involves filing an application that identifies the trademark and the class of goods or services that you’re using it for.

You can submit a trademark registration application online, using the Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS) or through an online service. The USPTO also accepts paper applications but strongly prefers electronic applications. Trademark fees for electronic applications are currently $225–$400 per class of goods or services, depending on the type of application you file. The trademark cost for registering with a paper application is currently $600 per class of goods or services.

If you use your mark in connection with more than one class of goods and services—such as both t-shirts and software—you must pay the filing fee for each class of goods and services. The fee is not returned to you if your trademark registration application is ultimately denied.

What Is the Cost of Trademark If You Want to Trademark a Slogan?

A slogan is a word or phrase typically associated with a business, product, or service and the fee for trademarking your slogan is $325-$375 depending on how you file.

Considering a slogan is technically intellectual property and part of branding, it is not uncommon for a slogan to be trademarked. Therefore, you should know the trademark cost even if you aim to trademark a slogan.

How Do You Trademark a Slogan?

In order to trademark your slogan, it must be connected to your brand. If your brand and slogan are not connected in some way, you cannot trademark it.

If you aren’t sure whether or not your slogan can be trademarked, an intellectual property lawyer – such as myself – could lend you some assistance. I will also help you determine its trademark cost. Technically, there are just a few steps to getting your slogan trademarked.

Step One: Make sure the slogan is available. You can only trademark a slogan if it hasn’t been trademarked by someone else. This just involves checking the online database that belongs to the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Besides informing you about the trademark cost, fortunately, this is also something a lawyer could help you with.

Step Two: You will either obtain a hard copy of the application or you will visit the United States Patent and Trademark Office website to fill out the application online.

Step Three: Fill out the application as completely as possible. Then, you just have to pay the necessary filing fees as part of the trademark cost. To date, it costs roughly $325 to file your trademark online or 5 if you decide to file with a paper application.

If the slogan you are using is utilized with more than one type of product or service, you will have to pay extra filing fees. Naturally, it is also important to keep in mind that filing fees are nonrefundable.

Finally, you just have to wait for your trademark application to be processed. As long as you have paid the trademark cost and filled out the paperwork properly, your slogan trademark should be registered with the online database once the paperwork is processed.

To know more about your trademark cost and begin the process of trademarking your slogan, start by calling us.

What Is the Trademark Cost If You Want to Trademark a Product?
To trademark a product, you will pay $325-$375 as the cost of trademark for the filling fees and additional attorney fees as applicable.
Trademarking a product is considered branding that product. For example, Nike’s swish check mark is how they trademark their products.
An attorney can do a search to determine if you can trademark your invention or mark and then file the right applications to make sure your trademark has the best chance of approval. The attorney will also tell you about the trademark cost involved.

Other Fees

If you choose to hire a lawyer to conduct a trademark search or help you with the trademark registration process, you will also incur legal fees. Many lawyers charge by the hour, with rates typically ranging from about $125 to a few hundred dollars. Some lawyers will handle trademark registrations for a flat fee.

Every 10 years, you must file an application to renew your trademark registration. The USPTO’s fees for trademark registration renewals are approximately $300 for an electronic application and about $400 for a paper application.

Trademarking a business name can offer valuable protection. You may be able to obtain state trademark registration for $100–$200. Federal trademark registration extends your protection nationwide and offers other important advantages, but it typically costs more: $275–$375 for each class of goods and services that you want to protect.

Costs Before You Apply for a Trademark

Your first cost for a trademark application is for doing a thorough search of other trademarks that have been applied for and registered. You can do the search at no cost by using the USPTO’s Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS).

You might also want to hire an attorney to do the search for you, to make sure you aren’t missing a mark that might be too close to yours. This cost varies on whether you want to search internationally or locally, and it can be up to several thousand dollars.

Trademark Applications – Classes of Goods and Services

The first variable in trademark costs is the number of objects or types of services you want to trademark. You must file a separate trademark application for every class. A class is a type of product or service where your trademark appears. For example, if you have your trademark on t-shirts, mugs, and pens, you must file three trademark applications.

The USPTO has three levels of costs for trademark applications: TEAS Regular, TEAS Plus, and TEAS RF.

The regular TEAS application is the “basic” application. The cost of an initial application is $400. You only need to submit minimum information, and submitting a complete application will speed up processing time.
TEAS Reduced Fee (RF) is a moderate option. You don’t have to file a complete initial application, and you must agree to communicate electronically. The cost of an initial application is $275.

TEAS Plus is the least expensive and streamlined application. You must file a complete application, pay all filing fees at the time of filing, agree to file certain documents electronically, and receive all communications via email. Another benefit to the TEAS Plus application is faster service. The cost of an initial application is $225.

This article from the USPTO explains the details of the requirements for the three types of applications.

For the various trademark filings, for the initial application and continuing reports, the best and least expensive method is to use the USPTO Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS). You can use the TEAS system for all filings and payments. Once you file your initial application, you are registered in the TEAS system, and you can use it for other documents and fee payments.

Drawing Costs. You must submit a “clear drawing” of the mark (the logo or name/logo combination) that meets specific requirements. A trademark design might cost anywhere from $500 to several thousand dollars.
International Trademark Registration. Since many trademarks are on the internet, it’s difficult to just register in the U.S. You can register your trademark internationally through a separate application to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), through the U.S. trademark office. The cost for an initial Madrid Protocol application, per class, is $100 if filed electronically and $200 if paper-filed.

Statement of Use Fee. If you file your trademark application before using it, you need to file a declaration later when you begin using it. The cost of filing this declaration is $100 electronically or $200 by paper.
If you use a trademark or service mark before it’s registered, you’ll need to use the or ℠ designations. When your registration has been approved, you can use the ® designation.

Trademarks can’t just be “set it and forget it.” To continue your trademark protection, you must maintain it and report your maintenance activities. The USPTO calls this process “keeping your trademark alive.” There is a cost to these reports, and a separate filing must be made for every class of goods or services in the registration.

The trademark process can be tricky, and a trademark can be rejected for a variety of reasons. If you are really serious about getting your logo or business name trademarked, you should consider paying for an attorney to work through the process. According to Up Counsel, a flat fee for a trademark attorney might range from $300 to $1000 per application.
These are just the basic costs for trademark applications. There are other costs for expedited service, renewal, late fees, and others.

Trademark Lawyer Free Consultation

When you need legal help with a trademark, copyright or other intellectual property matter, please call Ascent Law for your free intellectual property law consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you.