Registering a trademark is crucial for protecting your brand and intellectual property in the United States. The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) handles trademark registration through its Trademark Center.
The Trademark Center allows you to file new trademark applications, pay associated fees, and track your application’s progress.
To access online trademark registration forms and systems (TEAS), you’ll need a USPTO.gov account with two-step authentication and identity verification. Identity verification is mandatory for all USPTO.gov account users submitting applications through the trademark registration system. This verification process typically takes about 15 minutes and can be completed online. For those who prefer not to verify online, the USPTO also offers a paper-based verification process.
Before starting the trademark registration process, familiarize yourself with the procedures and requirements to avoid costly mistakes that could jeopardize your time, money, and legal rights. The USPTO provides helpful resources for beginners, including a basic guide to trademarks and the registration process.
The Trademark Center offers various forms for different purposes, including:
- Application for Trademark Registration: Used to register a new trademark.
- Response Forms: Used to reply to requests from USPTO examining attorneys.
- Intent-to-Use Forms: Used when a trademark hasn’t yet been used in commerce.
- Post-Registration Amendment Forms: Used to make changes to a registered trademark.
- Correspondence and Representation Forms: Used to change contact information or legal representation.
- Petition Forms: Used to request reconsideration of USPTO decisions.
- Cancellation or Reexamination Forms: Used to request cancellation or reexamination of a registered trademark.
- Other Forms: Used for various purposes, such as requesting voluntary amendments or withdrawing applications.
- Maintenance/Renewal/Correction Forms: Used to maintain, renew, or correct a trademark registration.
- Assignment Forms: Used to transfer ownership of a trademark.
- Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) Forms: Used for filing appeals with the TTAB.
- Madrid Protocol Forms: Used for international trademark registration.
Trademark application processing times vary depending on the application type and USPTO workload. You can check current processing times on the USPTO website. Accurate and complete submission of applications, responses, and post-registration documents can expedite the process.
The USPTO provides a schedule for uploading submitted documents to the Trademark Status & Document Retrieval (TSDR) system. Most documents are uploaded within four to five business days. If your documents haven’t appeared in the system after this period, contact the Trademark Assistance Center for help.
To ensure timely filing, check the TEAS system’s server status and maintenance schedule before submitting your application. Eastern Time is used to determine filing deadlines. Any document submitted before 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time is considered filed on that day, regardless of the USPTO’s regular business hours. If you need to file documents today but the TEAS system is unavailable, use an alternative filing method to ensure timely receipt by the USPTO.
