All of our applications for registration are prepared by licensed attorneys, so you can be sure you're getting sound advice in all aspects of your registration.  All quotes are for US federal registrations. 

Cost:
The cost for a standard registration is $575.00(us). However, additional costs can be added depending on (1) the type of application you submit, e.g. design mark versus word mark, (2) whether or not you have already begun using the mark or simply want to reserve it  for the future;  and (3) the number of international classes you select.  The Trademark Office charges $325.00(us) for each international class.  The $575.00 figure assumes you're registering in one international class.

How long it takes
Preparing the application can be done within 24 hours, but usually occurs within 48 hours, unless we agree otherwise.  Measured from the date of filing to the date the registration certificate arrives in the mail, registration can take anywhere from 10 months to 2 or more years, depending on the backlog at the Trademark Office, and more importantly, depending on whether or not you have had to overcome objections in order to receive a registration.  

Below is a typical timetable for a simple registration with no office actions or third-party objections.

Day 2		Preparation of registration application completed, and sent to Trademark Office
Month 2		Filing receipt arrives from Trademark Office, demonstrating paperwork approved preliminarily.
Month 5		Notice of Publication arrives from Trademark Office, indicating Examiner's approval.
Month 6		Official Gazette publishes trademark, marking 30-day period in which third parties may object to registration
Month 10		Registration Issues
Month 12		Certificate of Registration arrives in mail

Included in the fee
The fee you pay goes toward preparing a carefully worded application with proper specimens, and answering basic questions that the Trademark Office may have.  This fee does not cover responding to objections raised during registration by the Trademark Office or by third parties.  However, if such an objection arises, your fee covers a single consultation regarding your options for handling the objection.  You will be able to anticipate the most likely objections if you have also purchased a full opinion from us.

 

What to do before registering
Before ordering a registration, you should determine (1) whether your mark is the type that is capable of being registered;  and (2) whether your proposed mark is already being used by someone else.  

Not all marks are created equal.  Generic marks can never be registered, and Descriptive marks face initial rejections that may or may not be able to be overcome.  If you want a mark that can be registered and otherwise protected immediately, you should choose one that is either suggestive, arbitrary or coined.  Our Premiere Protection Package is the best way to navigate these complex legal issues because we provide a free preliminary search with opinion that helps narrow down your choices of a good mark, and a legal opinion assesses your mark for its protectability.

If your trademark is already used by someone else, you could be sued for trademark infringement, lose your mark, and possibly pay monetary recovery, including the other party's attorneys fees. A trademark search and opinion helps you determine whether your mark is likely to infringe another company's mark.

Before registering, consider ordering a full trademark protection package.  Our packages are the most economical and efficient way to accomplish all the steps needed for safe clearance and registration of your proposed mark.  Our Protection Packages also grant you the flexibility of approaching this process step by step with the opportunity for a refund if you decide you don't want to proceed with the remaining steps.

Why hire us
In a nutshell, we offer competitive pricing, while maintaining the highest quality of work.  Despite claims by unscrupulous trademark  prep. services, our prices are not much more than non-attorneys.  Moreover, most registration services will  not assist you with the minor office actions without charging you extra.  Finally, if you hire us, only licensed attorneys will prepare your application and advise you.  Our rigorous legal education and experience allows us to prepare an application with legally strong specimens and carefully selected wording, designed to broaden your trademark rights to the full extent under the law. 

Sound advice can only come from someone with thorough legal training and experience, and who is held accountable to rigorous ethical standards;  not a paralegal.  We don't recommend using paralegals because (1) they lack the legal training to excel in this area of law;  (2) the attorney-client privilege does not apply to them if they are not supervised by an attorney;  and (3) they are not held to the same ethical standards as are attorneys.  Lawyer jokes aside for the moment, the fact is that attorneys are scrutinized by rigorous ethical guidelines and can lose their licenses for unethical conduct if the client informs their state's ethics board.  Paralegals are not held to these standards.