Welcome! Here we’ll provide you with basic trademark information as well as hands-on information about how to trademark a name, how to register a trademark (be it a name, logo or domain name) in the U.S. or internationally.

  Trademark Information

You can protect intellectual property via three legal mechanisms – copyrights, patents and trademarks. Copyrights protect work that can be labeled as artistic and literary, whereas patents apply to protecting an invention.

Trademarks range from words, phrases, symbols or logos or combination thereof that identify the source of a specific product or service. When a trademark is claimed and not yet registered the symbol used is TM. When applied to distinguish the source of a specific service, trademarks are called “service marks” and the symbol used is SM. Simply put, trademarks are used to protect and distinguish brand name products and services.

The mark you choose to use will provide an identity for your business. Protecting this identity by applying for a trademark will allow you to seek the protection of trademark law should there be infringement or delusion of the mark by a third party using the mark or commercial or advertising purposes. Once achieving registration, as well as the right to use the symbol (R) you have the right to seek restitution from a third party infringer in any federal court.

Trademark Research

If you believe you have a unique or distinguishable brand name or service mark protecting that mark is important to your business. Your trademark will represent your company image in its efforts to conquer the market. You can find free detailed information about trademarks, and the trademark process including how to apply for a trademark via the United States Patent and Trademark Office, which is the official US agency handling all issues related to patents and trademarks. We will guide you though the trademark registration process on our “Trademark Registration” page.

If you have decided that you need a trademark for your business we can provide you with quick general tips on trademark registration as well as trademark use, nationwide and internationally. On our “International Trademark” page you can will find out key differences between a “USA trademark” and an international trademark (or an EU trademark) and determine in which cases you can take a DIY approach to international trademark registration or when you need to hire a trademark lawyer specialized in either domestic or international trademark law.

Using the USPTO

Don't be intimidated by the amount of detail and small print you will find on the USPTO website. Detailed step by step instructions on how to trademark a name as well as using the resources available from the USPTO  in the TEAS tutorial. Here you will find detailed information about how to use TESS (the search system). If you take the time, follow the steps and learn about the processes you can find a treasure trove of information. Some sites on the internet, like trademarkia, have put a different face on this information. If you are creating a product or service and are interested in discovering detailed information about who is doing what learn your way around the information in the USPTO data base. Doing so can be well worth the effort once you discover all that is there.

We first filed an electronic application via the USPTO website in 2005. Since then the electronic processes have changed server times. They have adding more electronic capabilities in addition to detailed tutorials. Filing electronically is easier than ever. It can literally take under five minutes to process an application. There is a toll free number you can call to get technical assistance as well.