Trademark Registration: How to Protect Your Brand?

Trademark registration is the most effective way to legally protect your business name, logo, and other distinctive features. Trademark registration in America is done through USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office). The registration process typically takes 8-12 months and consists of several stages. First, you should conduct comprehensive research to ensure your trademark is unique and not used by someone else. You can check existing trademarks using USPTO's TESS (Trademark Electronic Search System) database. When applying, you need to specify which product or services" class="text-teal-600 hover:text-teal-700 font-medium underline decoration-teal-300 hover:decoration-teal-500 transition-colors">service categories you will use your trademark in (Nice Classification system). Application fee is between $250-350 per class. After your application is reviewed, it is evaluated by an examining attorney at USPTO. If there are objections or deficiencies, you need to address them. Once registration is complete, your trademark is protected at the federal level and you can use the ® symbol. To protect your registered trademark, you must use it regularly and perform necessary renewal procedures.