How to register a trademark

Registering a trademark takes months, but most of the decisions happen before you file. This overview shows how to get the most protection for the least effort. Step-by-step guides for individual trademark offices will follow in this section. It's general information, not legal advice.

What's the quickest way to get good trademark protection?#

1. Register your logo first if you want Gmail's blue checkmark. Add your name as a separate word mark when your budget allows.
2. Search for conflicts before you file, so you don't pay for an application that gets refused.
3. List only what you sell, or plan to sell soon, in as few classes as you need.
4. File in your home country first, then extend abroad within 6 months.
5. File the exact logo you use, in its final version.
6. Get expert help for anything beyond a simple filing: a trademark attorney or our filing service.
7. Put every deadline in your calendar, from replies to the office to renewals.

Do I need a trademark attorney?#

It depends on where you file and where you're based. At the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO):

• Based in the US: an attorney isn't required, but the USPTO strongly encourages one.
• Based outside the US: you must have a US-licensed attorney.

Other offices have their own rules. An attorney's time often costs less than a refused application.

Watch out for scams. Companies that aren't law firms sometimes offer to file for you, and fake notices ask for fees that aren't due. Official USPTO emails always end in @uspto.gov. See the USPTO's guide to common scams.

Should I register my company name or my logo first?#

• Name only (word mark): the broadest protection for your name, in any font or color. It doesn't record what your logo looks like, so it can't back a logo with the blue checkmark.
• Logo (design mark or combined mark): protects the image you file. This is what the blue checkmark needs.
• Both: the strongest position. They are two applications with two sets of fees.

If you can afford only one filing and you want the checkmark, register the logo you'll show in the inbox. Inboxes show a small square logo, so if you use a symbol on its own, register that symbol. If your logo includes your name, a combined mark protects the two together.

How do I check that nobody else has registered something similar?#

Trademark offices refuse applications that are too close to an earlier mark for related goods or services. Search before you file:

• The USPTO Trademark Search for US marks.
• The WIPO Global Brand Database, which covers many offices at once.
• The web, online marketplaces and social media, for brands that use the name without registering it.

Searching for similar logos is harder than searching for words, because designs are searched by codes, such as "stars" or "animals". A professional search report is often worth paying for.

Which goods and services should I list?#

Your application lists the goods and services your trademark covers, grouped into classes. Most offices charge per class, so each extra class costs more.

• Be precise. Use the office's list of accepted descriptions where it has one, such as the USPTO's ID Manual.
• Don't over-claim. Listing goods you don't sell or plan to sell can get your application refused or your registration canceled.
• Think ahead. You usually can't add goods or services after you file. International applications can't be expanded later either.

Where should I file my trademark?#

Start with the trademark office where you're based or where most of your customers are. One registration protects you across that country or region. Then extend if you need to:

• The Madrid System: one international application, in English, French or Spanish, with one set of fees, to seek protection in up to 130 countries. You first need an application or registration with your home office.
• Regional offices: one European Union registration covers every EU country.
• The 6-month window: file abroad within 6 months of your first filing and you keep your original filing date.

For the blue checkmark, one registration with a recognized office is enough, and it doesn't have to be in your own country. VerifiedInbox currently verifies USPTO registrations.

How do I prepare my logo for a trademark application?#

These are the USPTO's drawing rules. Most offices ask for something similar.

• One logo per application. An application with two different logos isn't accepted.
• A clean, sharp image with as little white space as possible. The USPTO asks for a JPG file of 5 MB or less, in RGB color.
• Black on white, unless you claim color. A color logo goes on a white background.
• A short description of everything in the logo, such as "The mark consists of a red circle with the word ACME". If you claim color, list every color and where it appears.
• Translations of any foreign words, and a spelling in Latin letters for other scripts.

File the final version. You can't make important changes after you file.

What happens after I file a trademark application?#

1. Filing: the office gives your application a filing date and a serial number. Keep the number; you'll need it later.
2. Examination: an examiner checks the rules and looks for conflicting marks. This can take several months.
3. Office letter: if there's a problem, the examiner sends a letter. At the USPTO you have 3 months to reply, with one optional 3-month extension for a fee. International applications get 6 months, with no extension. If you miss the deadline, the application is abandoned.
4. Publication: the trademark is published, and anyone has 30 days to oppose it.
5. Registration: you get a registration certificate and number. If you filed before using the mark, you first have 6 months to show it's in use or ask for more time.

Check your application's status every 3 to 4 months in the USPTO's status system, and keep your email address up to date.

How do I keep my trademark registered?#

• Keep using it for the goods and services it covers.
• File renewals on time. In the US, that's between the 5th and 6th year after registration, between the 9th and 10th year, and then every 10 years. Miss one and the registration is canceled.
• Keep your contact details current, so you don't miss official letters.
• Watch for copycats. The office doesn't enforce your trademark for you. In the US, you can also record your trademark with Customs to help stop counterfeit imports.

The blue checkmark needs a live registration every year, so a lapsed trademark also means losing the checkmark.

How long does it take and how much does it cost?#

Time: a simple US application often takes a year or more from filing to registration, and longer if the examiner raises problems. See the USPTO's current wait times.

Cost: every office charges fees, usually per class and per country, plus extra fees for extensions, replies and renewals. Attorney fees are separate. Fees change, so check the official sources for current amounts:

• USPTO: trademark fee information
• WIPO Madrid System: filing overview, fees and fee calculator

Can VerifiedInbox file my trademark?#

Yes. Our trademark filing service can help you register your logo. Email trademark@verifiedinbox.ai with your company name, your logo, what you sell and where. We'll explain your options, the timing and the cost.

Meanwhile, if your logo has been in public use for 12 months, you can show it in the inbox now with a CMC and move to the blue checkmark once your trademark is registered. See Trademarks for BIMI and VMC.