Archives: Trademarks

The United States Patent and Trademark Office is raising some of its trademark filing fees effective January 18, 2025. In many cases, the initial filing fee will increase by $200 per class of goods or services. The exception is where the listed goods or services are found in the USPTO’s “identification manual” – their pre-set list of goods and services. In my experience, that list is incomplete, and many trademark applications require a custom-crafted list – which means the additional $200 fee will apply to those classes. If the custom list of goods or services in a particular class exceeds…

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If you’re a business owner looking to file a trademark application in the United States, you are undoubtedly familiar with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The USPTO is the government agency responsible for issuing patents and trademarks in the U.S. Recently, they introduced new domicile address requirements that have confused many applicants. These requirements aren’t just red tape—they have real implications for your trademark rights and privacy. In this blog post, I’ll break down what you need to know about the USPTO’s domicile address requirements and how working with U.S.-based strategic legal counsel can help you navigate…

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I was recently alerted to new scams that are plaguing U.S. trademark applicants. I wrote about trademark scams way back in 2012 (here) and 2016 (here). Unfortunately the problem hasn’t gone away. Here are two recent issues I’ve heard of: 1. Email Scam. After a trademark application is filed, the applicant (meaning, the person or company who owns the trademark, not the filing attorney) is contacted in writing stating that the trademark application was incomplete, and that a conflicting application has been filed by someone else. The scam email looks something like this: I hope this email finds you well….

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The best way to establish a strong trademark is to create a brand name that is neither generic nor “merely descriptive”. In this blog post, I’ll explain what those terms mean and provide some tips on how to avoid running into these issues. The Perks of a Powerful Trademark Before diving into the details of avoiding descriptive or generic trademarks, let’s first explore the benefits of having a strong trademark. A robust trademark can serve as a powerful tool for businesses to stand out in the competitive marketplace and protect their brand identity. Some advantages of a strong trademark are:…

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