If you wish to protect your trademark, now is the time to register it. This post will lead you through the steps of applying for federal trademark registration, highlighting the instances where working with a trademark attorney, whether in Seattle or abroad, can be beneficial.
Before you file for trademark protection, you must first ensure that your mark may be registered. This includes looking for individuals who may have already registered a similar mark and determining whether your mark fits the other conditions for registration with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
It’s usually a good idea to apply for registration on the USPTO’s Principle Register first. Principle Register offers the most protection to the trademark owner, including a presumption that the trademark is valid, that the registrant owns the mark, and that the registrant has the exclusive right to use the mark. However, to be eligible for registration on Principle Register, your mark must meet specific standards, so conduct your research or contact a lawyer before applying.
Your trademark application must be based on either
(1) use in commerce or
(2) intent to use in the future.
A use-based application signifies that you’ve already been using the mark in commerce or in connection with the goods and services listed in the application at the time of filing. It is worth noting that your use of the mark must have been done in the usual course of business and not solely for the goal of reserving trademark rights. You will have successfully registered your mark if your use-based application is accepted.
An intent to use application indicates that you have not yet used the mark but have an actual intent to do so in the future. If your application for intent to use is accepted, the USPTO will issue a Notice of Allowance. At that point, you’ll need to present documentation (along with an Amendment to Allege Use or a Statement of Use) demonstrating that you’ve used the mark in commerce or in connection with the products and services indicated in your application to properly register your mark.
Tip: If you used the mark in your application for one of the goods or services but not for another, you should indicate which reason for filing covers which specific goods and services. For example, if you’d previously used the mark “STRTCH” to sell therapeutic bands but hadn’t yet used it to provide physical therapy services, you’d claim use for selling bands but intend to use it for PT services.
To be deemed complete, your trademark application must include the following information:
After you’ve finished these steps, you should be ready to submit your application.
You will use the Trademark Electronic Application System to file online (TEAS). The TEAS offers two filing options: Plus, and Standard (formerly known as “RF”).
1. TEAS Plus: The Plus application option is the cheapest at $250 for submitting in a single class, but it has more prerequisites. To qualify for Plus filing, the applicant must provide all of the material listed under “The Contents of The Application” previously on this page. With the Plus application, you must select a description of your goods and services from a predefined list, which may be beneficial for inexperienced candidates but may be overly restrictive for others.
2. TEAS Standard: The Standard application option is more expensive than the Plus option, costing $350 for filing in a single class. The Standard application, on the other hand, allows you to construct a bespoke description of your goods and services, which is an important feature for some applicants.
If your application is accepted, the USPTO will send you a receipt summarising the information you provided. Check to ensure that all of the information is right.
Your application will also be assigned a serial number. You can use this number to track the status of your application by visiting the Trademark Status and Document Retrieval page. There’s no need to check the status of your application regularly but do check in every few months to ensure everything is in order.
When the USPTO receives your application, it will be assigned to an “examining attorney,” who will review it. This process can take up to 6 months. If the reviewing attorney discovers any problems with the application, he or she will issue an “office action” that denies registration and explains why.
If the examining attorney approves your application, it will be published in the USPTO’s Official Gazette, an online publication, for 30 days. During this time, any party may object to the registration of the mark if it feels it will be harmed if it is registered. If an opposition is submitted, a court-like hearing is held to resolve the matter.
If no opposition is lodged, the USPTO will register the mark and issue you a certificate of registration if you submitted a use-based application. Keep in mind that registration may take many months after the publication period has ended. If you submitted an intent to use the application, the USPTO will issue a Notice of Allowance, which will require you to present evidence of use of the mark in commerce.
If you receive a Notice of Allowance, you must file a statement of use, along with evidence that you’ve used the mark, within six months. Along with the statement of usage, you must pay a filing fee of $100.
Tip: If you haven’t used the mark by the time your statement of use is due, you can request a 6-month extension. You can do this up to five times in total, but you must pay a $125 filing fee for each extension request.
If the examining attorney approves the statement of use, the mark will be registered and a registration certificate will be provided. This can take several months, so don’t be concerned if you don’t receive your registration certificate straight away
Last but not least, make sure you keep your registration current or you risk losing it. This entails submitting certain paperwork and paying fees every sixth and tenth year.
You must file a Declaration of Continued Use, together with a current “specimen” of use, every sixth and tenth year.
Furthermore, every ten years, you must file a Renewal Application, also known as a Renewal Application.
A number of steps in drafting and submitting a trademark application can be completed without the assistance of a trademark attorney. However, if you’re inexperienced with the system, it might take a long time to gather, arrange, format, and submit all of the necessary information.
Furthermore, there are several steps, such as identifying and precisely describing classifications of products and services, that are relatively technical and hence more difficult for a non-lawyer to get right the first time. And if you are served with an office action, it might be difficult to reply effectively without the assistance of a lawyer.
If you need assistance drafting a trademark application, or if you’ve already started but are stuck throughout the submission process, you can contact Brealant Inc. for advice from a trademark attorney.