The process of trademarking a company name is quite straightforward and affordable, and it is certainly worth its weight in gold in terms of preventing illegal usage by rivals.
The name you chose for your new firm is frequently one of its most significant assets, and it is well worth preserving. By trademarking your company name with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), you obtain countrywide protection against rival enterprises that may use a similar name.
Here’s what you may anticipate to spend for state company name registration or federal trademark registration.
The Trademark Procedure
Once your company’s name has been given trademark protection, it cannot be lawfully utilised by another person or organisation. At the federal level, the process of trademarking a name starts with doing a trademark search to identify any possible conflicts.
Assuming there are no conflicts, you’ll need to file an application for trademark registration with the USPTO. In the application, you must specify the mark as well as the type of services or commodities for which it will be used in commerce.
If your application is granted, the USPTO will award you a mark for your company name, which will provide you federal trademark protection against infringement on a national level and enable you to use the famous ® symbol on your products and services.
It also gives you an advantage if you need to assert your mark in a federal court infringement lawsuit. The trademark for your company’s name is valid for ten years, after which you must submit an application for renewal.
Fees for registering a business name as a trademark
When you file an application to trademark your company name on a federal level with the USPTO, you can expect to spend between $250 and $750.
According to the USPTO website, the trademark costs you’ll pay are determined by:
The number of trademarks you want
The kind of products and services you wish to brand
In a single application, an applicant may only apply for one trademark. The cost of filing an application is between $250 and $350.
If you seek to trademark numerous kinds of products or services, you must submit separate applications and pay different filing costs for each. This procedure may get costly.
The Cost of Filing a Trademark Application Online
The USPTO recommends that applicants submit electronically using the Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS) or one of the numerous alternative online filing services.
Fees for electronically submitted trademark applications typically vary from $250 to $350 for each class of products or services.
Cost of Filing a Paper Application Form
While the TEAS is the preferred way of completing a trademark registration application, you may still file a “paper” application form with the USPTO.
A paper trademark application typically costs $750 for each class of services or commodities.
Whatever filing option you pick, bear in mind that the filing cost is not refundable if the USPTO rejects your application to trademark a company name.
Renewal Fees
After the 10-year trademarking term has elapsed, the charge for seeking to renew your mark may be as much as $300 if filed online, and $400 if filed on paper.
If, on the other hand, you simply want to register your company name in your home state, the fee to submit a single trademark application in most states varies from $50 to $150
Other Charges
In addition to the filing fees, if you decide to hire a qualified patent attorney to help you with the patent application filing and registration procedure, you need spend an additional $500 to $2,000 to pay those costs.
You are responsible for enforcing your trademark rights. It is critical to keep an eye on your trademark and respond quickly if you suspect someone is infringing on it.