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Where Do I Start? There are several resources within the USPTO website. These include information as well as online capabilities for every stage of the registration process. In fact, you can conduct most of your trademark business with the USPTO online.Therefore, you should familiarize yourself with our site before you begin the trademark application process. Types of Intellectual Property The first
step is to determine what type of intellectual property protection
you need. There are three types of intellectual property: trademarks Basic Information and Rules of the Road Ok,
so now you have determined that a trademark is what you need.
Your second step should be to familiarize yourself with the
general rules and requirements for applying for a trademark
registration. To do so, go to Basic
Facts About Trademarks booklet and the Frequently
Asked Questions. You can look up legal terms as well as
other terms relating to trademarks in our Glossary Searching Trademarks The
next step is to search our database, before filing your application,
to determine whether anyone is already claiming trademark rights
in a particular mark.You may conduct a search online for free
via our TESS You may also conduct a trademark search by visiting the Trademark Public Search Library, between 8:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. at the Patent and Trademark Depository Library near you. These libraries have CD-ROMS containing the database of registered and pending marks. (However, the CD-ROMS do not contain images of the design marks.) - Madison East, 1st Floor; 600 Dulany St.; Alexandria, VA 22313. Use of the Public Search Library is free to the public. Also, certain information may be searched at a If your search
yields a mark that you think might conflict with your mark, you
should check its status via our TARR Identification of Goods and Services Now
that you have chosen your mark and conducted a trademark search,
you will need to draft a description of goods and/or services.A
trademark application is incomplete without a statement identifying
the goods and/or services with which the mark is used or will
be used. The
identification of goods and/or services Mark Another
consideration is the depiction of your mark. Every application
must include a clear representation
of the mark Filing a Trademark Application You
may file your trademark application online using TEAS You may also contact the Trademark Assistance Center at 1-800-786-9199 for a hard copy of the Basic Facts brochure, or a paper form. Paper forms are not processed as quickly as those submitted electronically, however.
If you file an application online through TEAS, you will receive
a summary of the filing by e-mail and your application will be
assigned an immediate serial number. Otherwise, if you file a
paper application by regular mail, please allow at least two
to three (2-3) weeks to receive a filing
receipt for your application. The filing
receipt All future correspondence with the USPTO must include this serial number. You should receive a response to your application from the USPTO within five to six months from filing the application. However, the total time for an application to be processed may be anywhere from almost a year to several years, depending on the basis for filing, and the legal issues which may arise in the examination of the application. You may monitor the progress of your application through the TARR database. |
Call the Trademark Assistance Center at 800-786-9199 for help on trademark matters. Send questions about USPTO programs and services to the USPTO Contact Center (UCC). You can suggest USPTO webpages or material you would like featured on this section by E-mail to the webmaster@uspto.gov. While we cannot promise to accommodate all requests, your suggestions will be considered and may lead to other improvements on the website. |
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