What You Need to Know About Trademarking Fee Costs

Trademarking your brand or logo can be a cost-effective way to protect your intellectual property, with USPTO filing fees ranging from $225 to $600 for a basic application.

The cost of trademarking can vary depending on the type of application you file. A TEAS Plus application, which requires electronic filing and a verified statement, costs $225, while a TEAS application, which requires a paper filing, costs $275.

If your trademark application is rejected, you may need to file an amendment or respond to an office action, which can add to the overall cost. However, the USPTO also offers a refund of $100 if you cancel your application within 6 months of filing, which can help offset the initial cost.

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The cost of trademarking your business name can vary depending on several factors, but the base application fee for a single class of goods or services is $350.

If you have multiple classes, such as goods and services, the fee is $350 for each class, so $700 in total. This is the case for a clothing line with golf shirts, dress shirts, and t-shirts, as well as custom t-shirt printing services.

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The cost also depends on whether you file online or via a paper application, with online applications preferred by the USPTO.

The base application fee is the same for filing a trademark application online, $350 for a single class, but if you need to file under multiple classes, the cost will be higher.

There are additional fees for incomplete applications, extra characters, and using a free text box, which can range from $100 to $200.

If you file an Intent-to-Use (ITU) application, you'll need to pay additional fees for an Amendment to Allege Use (AAU) or a Statement of Use (SOU), which are $150 per class.

The cost of renewing a trademark after the initial 10-year period has expired is $325 per class for an online renewal, or $525 per class for a paper filing.

Here's a breakdown of the costs for initial trademark applications and renewals:

Filing a trademark application is just the first step in the process. After you've submitted your application, the USPTO will review it and may issue an Office Action, which can include objections to your mark.

The examiner may believe your mark is "confusingly similar" to another mark, or that it's "merely descriptive." You'll need to address these rejections in a response, which can take several hours to draft and may cost between $1000-$3000.

The drafting of a response to an Office Action is a crucial step in the process, and it's essential to get it right to avoid delays and additional fees.

If you're lucky, your mark will proceed to be published without any further issues. But if someone objects to your registration, you'll need to address their concerns and potentially file additional documents.

Here are some common reasons for Office Actions and their corresponding costs:

Keep in mind that these costs are estimates, and the actual cost of responding to an Office Action may be higher or lower depending on the complexity of the issue.

The costs for renewing and maintaining a trademark can add up over time, but understanding them can help you plan ahead. The online renewal fee for a Section 9 renewal is $325 per class of goods or services in the registration.

You'll need to submit a combined Section 8 declaration of use and a Section 9 renewal fee after the initial 10-year trademarking period has expired. The combined fee is $650 per class to file electronically. This fee applies to each subsequent 10-year declaration.

If you're late in submitting the Section 8 declaration, but still file within the six-month grace period, there's an additional $100 charge. The paper filing fee for renewals is $525 per class of goods and services, which is higher than the online renewal fee.

Here's a breakdown of the costs for different types of trademark renewals:

The costs for maintaining a trademark after registration include a $325 per class fee for a Section 8 declaration, which is due every 5 years. You can also file a combined Section 8 and Section 15 declarations for $575 per class.

The USPTO has made some significant changes to the direct filing options for trademark applications, effective January 18, 2025. Only one type of electronic trademark application, the "base application", will be available for filing non-Madrid trademark applications.

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The base application fee of $350.00/class of goods or services will remain the same as the current standard application filing fee. However, surcharge fees could add significant costs to the base application fee.

There are several types of surcharge fees, including a $200.00 surcharge fee/class for identifying goods or services outside of the standardized listings in the USPTO's Trademark ID Manual.

Additionally, a $200.00 surcharge fee/class will be applied for each group of 1,000 characters used to identify goods or services beyond a first 1,000 characters (including punctuation and spaces).

The required 6-year declaration of use fee will increase from $225.00 to $325.00/class for registrations.

Here's a breakdown of the surcharge fees:

The USPTO prefers that applicants file electronically through the Trademark Center, as paper applications are only allowed in extreme circumstances and under very specific conditions.

The cost of a trademark application can be a significant expense, but it's essential to understand what you're getting into. The cost of a trademark search can vary depending on the complexity of the search, but it's a crucial step in ensuring your mark is unique.

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The US Trademark Office offers a video explanation to help guide you through the process. A trademark search can cost anywhere from $100 to $1,000 or more, depending on the scope of the search.

If you're planning to use your mark in commerce, you'll need to file an Actual Use application, which requires proof of use. An Intent-to-Use application, on the other hand, is for marks that haven't been used yet. The cost of an Intent-to-Use application is typically lower than an Actual Use application.

The US Trademark Office also offers guidance on conducting a trademark search, which is a crucial step in ensuring your mark is unique. You should conduct a search to avoid potential conflicts with existing marks.

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The cost of trademarking your business name can vary depending on the number of classes you seek, whether the application is incomplete, and other factors. You can file an application online for $350 for a single class of goods and services.

The base application fee is $350 per class, but if your application is incomplete, you'll need to pay an additional $100. If you need to use a free-form text box to describe your goods or services, that's an extra $200.

Here's a breakdown of the costs:

* Initial Trademark Application Costs:

+ Base application, per class: $350.00

+ Intent-to-Use Application Costs:

+ §8 declaration, per class: $325.00

+ Combined §8 and §15 declarations, per class: $575.00

+ Combined §8 declaration and §9 renewals, per class: $650.00

+ §15 declaration, per class: $250.00

It's worth noting that the USPTO prefers electronic filing, and paper applications are only allowed in extreme circumstances.