How much is a trademark?
How much does it cost to trademark a name?
What does the trademark logo cost?
These are the types of questions I get all the time when it comes to answering the question, “how much to trademark a name.”
You may not realize it, but you – and everyone around you – interacts with trademarks and trademark cost every single day.
That’s why it becomes extremely important to know how much does it cost to trademark a name. If you have a business, you should simply know how much does it cost to trademark a logo and how much it costs to trademark a name.
Why?
Well, it is because a trademark is just a proper and official synonym for the word, “brand.”
It is smart to learn about the cost of trademarks so that you will be prepared when you have to file a trademark for your name or logo. But before going ahead, you should also know other basics such as why exactly you should trademark, how much it costs of trademarking a name and various other essential details related to trademarking your business.
Here’s why you should trademark a name:
- Trademark protects your brand from competitors who can be involved in stealing and using a similar version of your name or logo.
- Trademark increases the value of your brand if you ever decide to sell your business (the value of your business is in your brand)
- Trademark allows you to know if someone is using your brand
- Trademark prevents someone else from using a similar brand
- By knowing what is the cost of trademarking a name and paying the trademark price, trademark allows you to use the ® symbol to protect your brand
Whether you are a business owner, singer, graphic designer, artist, photographer, writer, or entrepreneur, it’s important to know how much does it cost to trademark a name so you can recognize and protect your brand name.
On this page, I’ll discuss everything related to how much to trademark a name, the overall cost of trademark, how much is it to trademark a name, how much to trademark a logo, the cost to trademark a business name, and current trademark filing fee costs.
If you’re looking to learn more about how much does a trademark cost, email me at sam@mollaeilaw.com
What Can Be Trademarked?
Before you learn how much does a trademark cost, you probably want to know what can be trademarked in the first place.
Almost anything can be trademarked – invented words, dictionary words, slogans, phrases, logos, colors, shapes, and names – all qualify for trademarking.
The identity of the trademark is more important than getting caught up in the details of what can be trademarked. The trademark distinguishes your business from another, so it has to be unique which is why there is a trademark price associated with it.
There are three types of trademarks:
- Service marks and trademarks: Words, phrases, or symbols that define a company’s services or goods. Service marks are for services while trademarks are for goods.
- Certification marks: These are characteristics of a product, such as a t-shirt that’s 100% cotton.
- Collective marks: These work just like trademarks but you may apply the trademark to a group instead of an individual business.
When it comes to trademarking and knowing how much is trademarking a name, some things are really tough to trademark. In this case, you should consult with
a trademark lawyer to determine if you’ll be able to trademark a name and how much does a trademark cost.
Some things you may have a tough time trademarking include:
- Generic names
- Geographic names
- Descriptive names that aren’t distinguishable
- Surnames for a product
Some things can’t be trademarked:
- Government insignia or symbols
- Vulgar/disparaging phrases or words
- Generic terms or phrases
- Proper names or a likeness of a person without their consent
- The likeness of a former or current United States president
- Sounds or motifs (should be copyrighted instead)
- Deceptive, immoral, or scandalous symbols or words
How Much Does It Cost to Trademark a Name?
There is no cut and dry answer regarding how much does it cost to trademark a name. This is because the answer varies based on several different things when it comes to determining the trademark cost.
If you’d like to find out how much it costs to trademark a name, email me at sam@mollaeilaw.com
For example, what type of registration do you need? How complicated is what you are trying to trademark? And, what method of trademarking are you going to use?
The answers to each of these questions will ultimately decide about how much to trademark a name and the trademark price you are required to pay for your brand. The bright side is – regardless of your answers – you aren’t going to experience too much of a price sticker shot when it’s about knowing how much is it to trademark a name. Why? Well, it’s because the cost of a trademark is not as high as it sounds.
The best first step for you is to email me at sam@mollaeilaw.com to determine how much to trademark a name, how to trademark a name, and the trademark cost involved.
Trademark Cost: How Much Is It to Trademark a Name
In total, the overall trademark cost is divided into 3 different trademark application/filing fees including:
- TEAS Plus – $225 per class of goods/services
- TEAS Reduced Fee (TEAS RF) – $275 per class of goods/services; or
- TEAS Regular – $400 per class of goods and services
Determining exactly how much does it cost to trademark a name can be a bit unclear. The final number of the trademark cost is calculated depending on what kind of goods or service you are trying to slap a trademark named on.
Furthermore, the trademark lawyer you hire is factored into the cost of a trademark. Sure, a trademark lawyer is going to take care of all the hard work. He or she is going to weave through all of the paperwork as he knows how to trademark a name.
Now, a typical trademark lawyer would charge you an hourly rate as the trademark cost. I, however, believe in doing things differently when it is about how much to trademark a name.
I prefer to bill my trademark clients using a flat-rate. I believe this is more transparent when it comes to the filing fees, the trademark cost, and some of the other costs associated with getting that trademark.
Trademark Cost: What is the Federal Filing Fee for a Trademark?
The federal registration filing fee for a trademark is one of the more expensive costs, starting at $275 because it will provide your trademark with all of the benefits that a state filed trademark would not have.
Furthermore, a federal trademark named just allows your business name to be recognized all across the U.S. instead of just in the state you reside in. This can be extremely beneficial if you are trademarking the name of a business you intend on building a website to sell services or products to people from all over the U.S.
A federal trademark is ideal for anyone who doesn’t just want their name to be local.
The starting point for the federal trademark registration is $275 if you file online. This, however, does not include other fees included in the overall trademark cost– such as your attorney expenses.
If you are looking for a more budget-friendly trademark cost, you do have the choice to only register your trademark with your state for a cheaper price of $50-$150. State registration doesn’t provide as much protection as federal registration does.
It’s important to hire a lawyer who cannot only help you determine how much is it to trademark a name but can also search to make sure you can trademark your logo or business name while assuring reasonable trademark cost and explaining to you how much does a trademark cost.
How Much to Trademark a Name If You Are Starting a Business?
To trademark a business name, it costs between $275 and $325 for the filing fees. Additionally, you’ll need to pay attorney fees, state fees of $100-$200, and maintenance fees as the trademark cost needed in the future.
Wondering how much does it cost to trademark a name? Here’s the answer: to know how much is it to trademark a name, you have to have a formal business entity with a registered name in your state. If you are a sole proprietor, you can do this by filing a fictitious name, which is also called a doing business as (DBA) name.
You’ll apply for a trademark with the USPTO electronically or by paper. It’s important to point out that an electronic application is much faster and preferred over the paper.
If you’re going to use your name for more than one class of services or goods, you’ll have to pay a fee for each. For example, if you want to sell software as well as web services, you’ll have two fees as part of the trademark cost.
If you’re unsure about how much does it cost to trademark a name and how to determine the trademark cost, book a call with a Trademark Strategy Advisor here.
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.
Read this: How to Trademark Your YouTube Channel
How Do You Trademark a Slogan?
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 $375 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 here.
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 a trademark for the filing fees and additional attorney fees as applicable.
Trademarking a product is considered branding that product. For example, Nike’s swish checkmark is how they trademark their products.
An attorney can 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.
How Much Does a Trademark Cost If You Want to Trademark a Design?
To trademark a design, you’ll pay between $275 and $325 for the filing fees and any applicable attorney fees as the cost to trademark.
Many types of designs can be trademarked, but you should check with a lawyer to be sure that your design can.
Some of the types of designs that can be trademarked include product designs, color schemes, logos, packaging design, or label design.
Besides knowing how much does it cost to trademark a name if you have a business, you should also know that your design must be unique to be trademarked.
To apply for a trademark for design, you’ll need to follow the process of applying for a trademark. This process is the same for any trademark, but there are a few unique design related pieces to be aware of:
- Your application must include an image of your design.
- You have to decide if you want to trademark the design in black and white or in color. It’s important to know that choosing black and white allows you protection for any color in the future, but choosing a certain color scheme locks you into those colors.
The process may take several months, but once your trademark is approved and the trademark cost incurred is paid, you are protected.
How Much does it Cost to Trademark a Phrase?
It costs $275 to $325, plus attorney fees, to trademark a phrase.
Trademarking a phrase is the same process as trademarking a slogan. It’s something you want to do if you come up with something unique that you want your business to be known by.
Besides paying the cost to the trademark, you should also know that the phrase must be unique or have a distinctive meaning, which will be your job to prove to get a trademark.
Read this: Trademark Transfer Agreement
How Much Does a Trademark Cost If You Want to Trademark a Brand Name?
To trademark a brand name, the cost to trademark is between $275 and $325 for the filing fees. Additionally, you’ll pay applicable attorney fees, potential state fees of $100-$200, and maintenance fees in the future as the trademark cost.
Trademarking a brand name is the same as trademarking a business name. The terms are interchangeable because your business is your brand and your brand is your business. That’s why it’s essential here as well that you should find out how much does it cost to trademark a name and other necessary information about the trademark price.
Another Important Trademark Cost: Trademark Maintenance Fees
To keep your trademark alive, you will have to pay trademark maintenance fees. It’s currently $100 in year 5 and then an additional $500 in year 10 and every 10 years after.
At year 5, you have to file out what’s called a Declaration of Use of Mark in Commerce, also known as Section 8 and pay the $100 fee as the trademark cost for ensuring that your trademark stays with you.
At year 10 and every 10 years after, you’ll file a Combined Declaration of Use of Mark in Commerce and Application for Renewal of Registration of a Mark under Section 8 & 9, also known as Section 8 and 9, and pay the $100 fee for Section 8 and the fee of $400 for Section 9.
That sounds confusing when it comes to figuring out how much does it cost to trademark a name and maintain it for years, so let’s break it down:
5 years after your trademark, you’ll have to renew it using Section 8 and paying a $100 fee. If you don’t do this before the 6th year, you’ll have 6 additional months to take care of this, but it will cost you an extra $100 penalty as an additional trademark cost for maintenance.
Then, at year 10, you’ll renew with Section 8 again and pay that same $100 fee. Plus, you’ll need to fill out Section 9 and pay a $400 fee for that.
Every 10 years after, you’ll fill out Sections 8 and 9 and pay the $500 as the trademark price to keep the trademark alive.
Trademark Cost Per Class
The trademark cost per class is $275.
The class means the types of goods or services the trademark will apply to. A trademark only applies to one class unless you specify and pay for additional classes.
You may need this if you plan to sell different types of products or services, you want the trademark to apply to them all, and you want to know how much does it cost to trademark a name even if you are selling different types of products or services.
There are 45 classes:
- Chemicals
- Paints
- Cleaning Substances
- Industrial Oils
- Pharmaceuticals
- Common Metals
- Machines
- Hand Tools
- Computers and Scientific Devices
- Medical Supplies
- Appliances
- Vehicles
- Firearms
- Precious Metals
- Musical Instruments
- Paper Goods
- Rubber Products
- Leather Goods
- Building Materials
- Furniture
- Household Utensils
- Ropes and Textile Products
- Yarns and Threads
- Textiles
- Clothing
- Lace and Embroidery
- Carpets
- Games and Sporting Goods
- Meat, Fish, and Poultry
- Coffee, Flour, and Rice
- Grains and Agriculture
- Beers and Beverages
- Alcoholic Beverages
- Tobacco Products
- Advertising and Business Services
- Insurance and Finance Services
- Construction and Repair Services
- Telecommunications Services
- Shipping and Travel Services
- Material Treatment Services
- Education and Entertainment Services
- Science and Technology Services
- Food Services
- Medical and Vet Services
- Legal and Security Services
As you can see, it’s quite an exhaustive list and you may even need multiple classes to cover a small product or service line.
What To Do Next
When you plan to trademark a name, idea, or design, its a good idea to protect your brand for years to come, but it’s not something you should try to do alone because you know little about the trademark cost because the process is complicated, and can easily be done wrong rendering your trademark useless.
Additionally, you need to be aware of how much does it cost to trademark a name including the maintenance requirements and fees because the USPTO doesn’t send out a notice letting you know it’s time to renew.
The best thing you can do for your trademark is to hire a lawyer who will provide an honest opinion about how much does it cost to trademark a name, how much does it cost to trademark a logo, and any other trademark price to make sure you can even trademark it in the first place and then file the required paperwork for you. The lawyer will also make sure you’re aware of your future obligations to keep the trademark valid.
I understand you want to save as much money as possible, but this isn’t an area to do so if you want to have a long-lasting, valid trademark. The good news is that I’m reasonably priced and fully transparent. You’ll receive a no-obligation quote before we ever do any work.
First step…
Schedule your free call with a Trademark Strategy Advisor here.
Got any other questions? Email me at sam@mollaeilaw.com
Trademark Cost Quick FAQ
How much does it cost to apply for a trademark?
A trademark, which is a brand name, costs between $275 and $325 for filing. In addition, you need to pay the related attorney fees or any state fees, (which range between $100 to $200). You will also need to pay future maintenance costs. A single-class application is usually just over $1,200.
How do I trademark a name and logo?
To establish your company’s identify and protect it, you should trademark the name and logo. To trademark your name and logo, you need to make sure the logo is available before you begin using it. Register the trademark for the logo with the Secretary of State where you have established your business. If you want to protect your rights throughout the US, you need to register the trademark with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Contact a lawyer to help you with the process, as it takes about six months. Begin by visiting https://mollaeilaw.com/start for all the details today.
What are the three types of trademarks?
According to the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the three main types of trademarks include word marks, design marks (which make use of images), and composite marks (which feature both words and a design). You can also consider slogans as trademarks when used for business purposes.
Is it better to copyright or trademark a logo?
While copyrights cover intellectual copy, logos must be trademarked. Therefore, it is better to trademark a logo with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Once you register your trademark with the USPTO, you can use your business logo anywhere in the US.
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