By Andrew Rapacke, Managing Partner, Registered Patent Attorney
In fiscal year 2021, the USPTO received a record-breaking 943,928 trademark application classes, a surge so overwhelming that average first-action pendency climbed to 6.3 months. By FY2023, that wait had stretched to 8.5 months. This wasn’t a fluke. It reflected something more fundamental: brands and companies increasingly understand that trade mark registration isn’t a legal formality; it’s a competitive asset for establishing and protecting their brand identity.
Globally, the picture is even more striking. WIPO reported approximately 11.6 million trade mark applications worldwide in 2023, with total class counts reaching 15.2 million, down only slightly from the 2021 peak, confirming that the pandemic-era surge was not an anomaly but an acceleration of a long-term trend. Meanwhile, active trade mark registrations worldwide reached approximately 82.5 million in 2022, a 9.4% rise from the year prior, five times the number of active patents globally.
What many business owners don’t realize is that trade marks can protect far more than brand names. Selecting and protecting a business name is a crucial part of a trademark strategy, as it helps secure your brand’s legal standing and market presence from the outset. Trademarks can safeguard different aspects of a brand’s identity, including logos, packaging, and other distinctive features that set a company apart in the marketplace. Words, logos, slogans, distinctive shapes, unique sounds, specific colors, packaging, and even store layouts can all qualify for trade mark protection under the right circumstances. This article covers two main frameworks: legal types (federal, state, common law, certification, collective, and trade dress) and format types (word marks, logo marks, slogan marks, sound marks, color marks, motion marks, hologram marks, and more). By the end, you’ll have a clear roadmap for building layered protection around your brand identity.
Types of Trade Mark: What Is a Trade Mark vs. a Service Mark?
The term “mark” is a broad legal category that encompasses both trade marks and service marks. A trademark is a form of intellectual property right that legally protects distinctive signs, symbols, or words used to identify the source of goods or services. A trade mark protects marks used on goods, physical products you sell. A trademark is any word, name, symbol, device, or any combination thereof used by a person to identify and distinguish their goods from others. A service mark has the same function as a trademark but identifies the services of a business, rather than goods.
In US law, Section 45 of the Lanham Act (15 U.S.C. § 1127) explicitly draws this distinction. In contrast, UK and EU law simply use “trade mark” to cover both goods and services without requiring different terminology. In everyday practice, most people say “trade mark” to refer to both categories. Consider Coca-Cola as a registered trade mark protecting the soft drink itself, while Uber holds service marks protecting its ride-hailing services. When filing applications in the US, you may encounter the ™ symbol for goods and ℠ for services in informal usage.
Registration Level: Federal, State, and Common Law Trade Marks
The level of trade mark protection you hold depends significantly on where and how your mark is registered, or whether it’s registered at all. Understanding these distinctions helps you choose the correct types of trade mark and the right level of protection for your business needs.
Federal Marks (US Context)
Federal trade mark registration through the USPTO provides nationwide protection across all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and US territories. The Lanham Act governs this system, and registration on the Principal Register delivers substantial benefits: nationwide priority from your filing date, a legal presumption of ownership and validity, the exclusive right to use the ® symbol, access to federal courts for infringement actions, and the ability to file international applications through the Madrid Protocol.
The scale of the US federal system is significant but not unrivalled. WIPO’s 2025 data show China’s trade mark office received approximately 6.97 million class-filing units in 2024, compared to only 795,337 for the USPTO, a ratio of nearly 9:1. This illustrates why US federal registration alone is insufficient for brands with global ambitions, and why many companies layer USPTO filings with Madrid Protocol applications or direct EUIPO registrations.
On the process side, as of January 2025, the USPTO consolidated its filing forms into a single TEAS Base form at a $350 base fee plus applicable surcharges. Paper filings have not been accepted since February 2020. Incomplete applications attract surcharges and lower first-action approval rates, a practical reason to work with a qualified attorney on filing completeness.
State Marks
Individual US states maintain their own trade mark registries; California, New York, Texas, and others each offer state-level registration. These registrations protect your mark only within that state’s borders and cost less than federal filings. However, state registration is becoming less common because federal registration almost always provides superior protection and will preempt state marks in cases of conflict. A state registration might make sense for a purely local business with no expansion plans, but most trade mark owners find federal registration worth the additional investment.
Common Law Marks
Trade mark rights in the US can arise automatically from actual use in commerce, without any filing required. These common law rights protect your mark in the geographic areas where you’ve actually used it and where consumers associate it with your business. However, unregistered marks present serious challenges: narrower geographic scope, difficulty proving ownership, and weaker enforcement options.
That said, common law rights aren’t worthless. Section 43(a) of the Lanham Act allows enforcement actions for passing off and unfair competition even without registration. For example, a local Minneapolis bakery that has used the name “Sunrise Donuts” in commerce has defensible common law rights in Minnesota, even without a federal filing. Many small business owners rely on common law rights initially before investing in formal trade mark registration.
Traditional Format Types of Trade Marks
These are the “classic” formats most businesses encounter when building their brand: words, logos, combinations, and slogans. Trademarks can be classified as word marks, design/logo marks, combination marks, trade dress, sound marks, collective marks, or certification marks. A design mark is a visual symbol or logo, such as the Dallas Cowboys star or the Starbucks logo, that helps consumers identify and distinguish a business. All of these format types qualify for registration as long as they meet the distinctiveness threshold and are used in commerce for specific goods or services. Many successful brands own several simultaneously, a word mark for the core name, a separate logo or design mark for the visual symbol, and a slogan mark for their tagline, each filed as distinct applications or strategically combined.
Word Marks
A word mark protects the wording itself, letters, numbers, or combinations, regardless of font, color, or styling. When you register a word mark, you’re protecting the name in standard typographic characters, which generally provides broader protection than a purely stylized logo. Any use of those words in any font or presentation potentially infringes.
Think of word marks like “NIKE,” “APPLE,” and “AMAZON”, registered as standard character marks, covering the verbal and figurative elements in their simplest textual form. Invented words like “KODAK” or “XEROX” represent particularly strong word marks because they started as fanciful, coined terms with no prior meaning. Word marks can also protect product names, program names, and podcast titles, provided they function as brand identifiers rather than merely descriptive phrases.
Design Marks / Logo Marks
Design marks (also called logo marks or figurative marks) protect purely graphic elements: symbols, stylized lettering, icons, or visual compositions that represent your brand. These marks cover the design as filed, the specific shape, arrangement, and overall visual impression.
Examples include the Nike Swoosh, Starbucks’s Siren logo, Target’s bullseye, and Apple’s bitten apple silhouette. The protection for a logo mark is inherently narrower than that for a word mark, as it covers only that specific visual design. If you significantly redesign your logo, you may need to file a new application to maintain strong protection. For new brands, protecting both the word and the key logo makes strategic sense when budgets allow, as they serve different purposes in enforcement scenarios.
Combination Marks
Combination marks unite word elements and design elements in a single filing, for example, a brand name integrated into a stylized emblem. Consider the ADIDAS name with its iconic three stripes, the BURGER KING wordmark nestled inside the bun-shaped logo, or a local restaurant’s name embedded within a distinctive shield design. Combination marks deliver powerful protection for complete brand identity, but may provide narrower coverage for the word element alone compared to a separate word mark registration.
When budgets are tight, prioritize a word mark for your core brand name first, then add combination or logo marks as resources allow.
Slogan Marks / Taglines
Slogan marks protect short phrases, or taglines, that are consistently used to identify and promote your brand or product line. Famous examples include “JUST DO IT” (Nike), “HAVE A BREAK, HAVE A KIT KAT” (Nestlé), “I’M LOVIN’ IT” (McDonald’s), and “THINK DIFFERENT” (Apple). However, slogans must be distinctive enough to function as source identifiers; the trade mark office will refuse purely descriptive or generic advertising phrases that anyone might use. Consistent, prominent use in marketing materials, on packaging, advertisements, websites, and social media supports both registration and enforcement.
Non-Traditional Marks: Sound, Color, Motion, Hologram, and More
Modern trade mark law in most major jurisdictions, including the US, EU, and UK, allows registration of non-traditional marks, provided they can be represented clearly and are distinctive. These marks often require additional evidence, such as consumer recognition surveys or proof of long, exclusive use. They represent the frontier of trade mark protection and can be among the most powerful brand assets for companies willing to invest in building that recognition.
Sound Marks
A sound mark consists of distinctive audio, music, sounds, or short sequences that consumers associate with a specific commercial source. The NBC three-chime sequence is perhaps the most famous US sound mark, registered since 1950. Intel’s five-note “bong” jingle accompanies every Intel Inside advertisement. MGM’s lion roar functions as both a sound mark and a motion mark.
Sound marks are represented in applications through audio files accompanied by musical notation or detailed written descriptions, as required by the office. Registration typically requires proving that the sound is neither functional nor commonplace; a generic phone ring or standard beep won’t qualify. The sound must be uniquely tied to your brand in consumers’ minds. For digital brands, apps, and podcasts, sound branding is increasingly accessible: a distinctive notification chime or intro sequence can become a registrable trade mark with consistent use.
Color Marks
A color mark protects a single color or a specific color combination when used in a particular way as a source identifier. This is one of the more challenging types of trade marks to secure because colors aren’t inherently distinctive for most products.
Well-known color trade marks include Tiffany & Co.’s robin-egg “Tiffany Blue” (Pantone 1837), UPS’s brown for delivery vehicles and uniforms, Cadbury’s purple for chocolate packaging (heavily litigated in the UK), and John Deere’s green and yellow combination for agricultural machinery. Notably, Owens Corning’s pink color for fiberglass insulation was the first color ever trademarked in the US, and the Supreme Court’s Qualitex decision (1995) confirmed that color alone can serve as a mark when it has acquired sufficient secondary meaning.
To register a color mark, you typically must provide evidence of acquired distinctiveness, demonstrating long, exclusive use and consumer recognition. Describe your color precisely using Pantone, HEX, or RAL codes, accompanied by clear sample images showing how the color appears on your goods or services. Protection covers color as used on specific products or packaging, not a blanket monopoly on that color across all industries.
Motion Marks
Motion marks protect moving elements, animations, or frame sequences that identify your brand. The MGM lion opening sequence and Pixar’s animated desk lamp jumping on the letter “I” before their films are classic examples highlighted by WIPO as key illustrations of trademarkable motion. Streaming services and gaming companies increasingly rely on animated intros that consumers recognize instantly.
Applications for motion marks typically include a series of still images capturing key frames, a video file, and a detailed written description of the motion sequence. The animation, taken as a whole, must be distinctive, not just a generic loading spinner or functional UI element that any software might use.
Hologram Marks
Hologram marks consist of holographic images or effects that change appearance when viewed from different angles. These serve dual purposes: distinctive branding and anti-counterfeiting security. Common examples include holographic security images on credit and debit cards, 3D hologram seals on branded software packaging, and authentication holograms on luxury goods. Filing typically involves submitting multiple images of the hologram from different angles, along with a detailed description of how its appearance changes. Hologram marks are relatively rare and primarily used by larger companies where security and product authentication justify the investment.
Other Non-Traditional Marks (Scent, Shape, Store Layout)
Some jurisdictions also accept scent (olfactory) marks, though none are currently registered in the US. Product shapes and three-dimensional marks include the Coca-Cola contoured bottle and the Toblerone chocolate bar shapes. The distinctive shape of the Coca-Cola bottle is a registered trademark that protects Coca-Cola’s packaging design. However, under US law, any product shape must acquire secondary meaning following the Supreme Court’s ruling in Wal-Mart v. Samara Brothers (2000), making initial registration difficult. Apple famously registered the look of its retail store interiors in both the EU and the US, covering floor plans, display tables, and lighting elements, illustrating that even store design can be protected as trade dress when it functions as a brand identifier.
Non-traditional marks require extensive evidence, including consumer surveys, long exclusive use, advertising expenditure data, and sales figures, to prove distinctiveness. They are advanced strategies rather than starting points for most businesses.
Trade Dress and Three-Dimensional (3D) Trade Marks
Trade dress refers to the overall look and feel of a product or its packaging, including distinctive shape, configuration, color scheme, graphics arrangement, and layout. In many jurisdictions, trade dress qualifies as a type of trade mark subject to the same distinctiveness and non-functionality requirements as word or logo marks.
Product Packaging Trade Dress
Product packaging trade dress covers the design of boxes, bottles, wrappers, and other external packaging elements that consumers recognize as coming from a particular brand. Examples include the classic Coca-Cola red can with its distinctive script, the Chanel No. 5 perfume box design, and the iconic Tiffany blue jewellery box with white ribbon. Enforcement focuses on whether copying the overall look creates customer confusion, even if no single element is identical.
Product Design Trade Dress
Product design trade dress protects the shape or configuration of a product itself, such as the Coca-Cola bottle’s contoured glass shape, Toblerone’s triangular chocolate bar, or a speaker’s distinctive casing. Under US law, following the Supreme Court’s decision in Wal-Mart v. Samara Brothers (2000), product design trade dress cannot be inherently distinctive. It must acquire distinctiveness through use and consumer recognition (secondary meaning). Functional features, those essential to the product’s use or that affect cost or quality, cannot receive trade dress protection regardless of distinctiveness.
Store Layout and Environment Trade Dress
In some jurisdictions, the interior or exterior layout of a retail space can function as trade dress if it’s distinctive and non-functional. Apple successfully registered its retail store layout in both the EU and the US, covering elements such as the floor plan, shelving arrangements, tables, and lighting. This type of protection matters for franchised chains, hospitality venues, and experiential retail brands where the physical environment itself communicates brand identity.
Collective and Certification Marks
Not all marks are owned and used by a single business for its own goods and services. Some marks exist to identify membership in organisations or to certify that products meet particular standards. Members of an organization use collective marks to identify products and services that meet specific standards. Certification marks indicate that services or products meet specific standards, qualities, and certifications, and may be used by authorized users, individuals, or entities permitted to use the mark according to established standards. Both collective marks and certification marks are recognized under the Lanham Act (15 U.S.C. §§ 1054–1055) and under EU/UK law, with specific rules governing filing and use.
Collective Marks
A collective mark is owned by an association, cooperative, or group, and used by its members to indicate membership or origin of goods and services from those members. There are two subcategories: a collective trade or service mark appears on members’ goods or services, while a collective membership mark shows only that someone belongs to an organization. Examples include professional association logos displayed by member businesses, cooperative branded products, and league logos used by professional sports organizations. Authorized users must follow the organization’s rules and standards.
Certification Marks
A certification mark indicates that goods or services meet certain standards, quality, material, geographic origin, manufacturing method, or labour conditions, rather than identifying a particular producer. Critically, the owner of a certification mark does not use it on their own goods or services. Instead, they establish standards and authorize producers who meet those standards to apply the mark.
Well-known certification trade marks include “USDA ORGANIC” for compliant agricultural products, “FAIRTRADE” for ethically sourced goods, and geographic certification marks such as “IDAHO POTATOES” and “CHAMPAGNE.” In a notable 2023 development, the USDA registered its Organic seal as a certification mark, giving the agency federal trademark powers to police misuse, including injunctions and treble damages of up to $2 million per counterfeit type, in addition to existing civil penalties under organic laws.
Strength and Distinctiveness: The Spectrum of Trade Marks
Beyond format types, trade marks are classified by legal strength on a spectrum rooted in cases like Abercrombie & Fitch Co. v. Hunting World (1976). Trademarks are categorized by their distinctiveness and strength, which determine ease of registration and enforcement against infringers. This spectrum determines both registrability and enforcement power. Key types of trademarks include fanciful, arbitrary, suggestive, descriptive, and generic marks.
A trademark must be a distinctive mark to be eligible for registration and protection. The importance of a distinctive mark was recognized in early legislation and registration systems, as it helps establish unique identifiers for goods and brands.
Generic terms are the common names for products and cannot be trademarked as they do not function as source identifiers. Using “BREAD” for bread or “COMPUTER” for computers does not protect because these words belong in the public domain as common names.
Descriptive trade marks directly describe a product’s features and can only be registered if they acquire secondary meaning. These merely describe a quality, feature, or ingredient of the goods or services. These are weak and generally unregistrable unless they acquire distinctiveness through extensive use (secondary meaning). Honey Baked Ham ultimately succeeded in showing that consumers associated the descriptive phrase with their specific brand.
Suggestive marks hint at a quality or characteristic of the goods without directly describing them and require imagination from consumers. For example, “NETFLIX” suggests internet-delivered entertainment without explicitly stating it. These marks are inherently distinctive and registrable without proof of secondary meaning.
Arbitrary marks are common words used in unrelated contexts, and they have strong legal standing due to their unexpected use. For example, “APPLE” for computers or “SHELL” for petroleum. These are strong because the word bears no logical connection to the product.
Fanciful marks are totally invented, unique words with the highest level of legal protection. Examples include “KODAK,” “EXXON,” or “XEROX.” These are the strongest type, offering maximum legal protection.
Well-known trademarks receive protection even without registration due to their widespread recognition and established reputation in the marketplace. Nike is a well-known trademark recognized for its athletic apparel and footwear.
The genericide warning: Even the strongest trade mark can fall if it becomes generic through public use. “Escalator,” “Thermos,” “Aspirin,” and “Cellophane” all lost trade mark protection in the US because consumers began using them as common product names. As documented by the Illinois Business Law Journal, Google has actively and deliberately fought to prevent its brand name from becoming a verb. Trade mark owners must actively police usage, insisting on ® symbols and using marks as adjectives, not nouns, to prevent genericide.
Trade Marks vs. Other IP Rights
Trade marks protect indicators of commercial origin. They differ fundamentally from other intellectual property rights. Copyrights protect original creative works and also expire, typically decades after the creator’s death. Patents protect inventions, new and useful processes, machines, or compositions of matter, and expire after fixed terms (typically 20 years for utility patents). Trade marks, by contrast, can last indefinitely as long as they’re used in commerce and renewed (every 10 years in most jurisdictions).
The scale difference is striking. According to WIPO’s IP Facts and Figures 2023, active trade mark registrations worldwide reached approximately 82.5 million in 2022, nearly five times the 17.3 million patents in force worldwide that year. The US alone had approximately 3.1 million active trade mark registrations, compared to 3.3 million active patents, underscoring the pervasiveness of trade mark rights relative to other IP forms.
Consider a distinctive bottle: it might have design patent protection for its ornamental shape, trade dress protection as a trade mark, and copyright protection for any artistic label design. These IP rights can layer together, each serving a different protective function, a strategy that the strongest global brands deploy systematically.
Conducting a Trade Mark Search
Before you file for trademark registration, conducting a thorough trade mark search is one of the most important steps you can take to protect your business. A comprehensive search helps you identify existing trademarks, both registered and unregistered, that could conflict with your chosen mark and ensures you select the correct trademark classes for your goods and services. This process significantly reduces the risk of costly infringement disputes and increases your chances of approval at the trademark office.
Start by searching the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) database for registered and pending marks that are similar to yours, especially those covering the same or related goods or services. Don’t stop there: many businesses also use unregistered marks that may have common law rights, so it’s wise to check business directories, domain names, and even social media for similar uses. For international ambitions, consider searching WIPO’s Global Brand Database and other national trademark office records.
It’s essential to look for marks that are not just identical, but also similar in appearance, sound, or meaning, especially within the same class of goods or services. Overlooking a confusingly similar existing trademark can result in your application being refused or, worse, a legal challenge from trademark owners. Many businesses choose to work with a professional search firm or an attorney to ensure nothing is missed.
By investing the time and resources into a proper trade mark search, you lay the groundwork for a successful trademark registration and help secure your exclusive rights to your brand in the marketplace.
Common Trade Mark Mistakes
Many small business owners and entrepreneurs fall into common trade mark traps that can jeopardize their brand identity and legal protection. One of the most common mistakes is failing to conduct a comprehensive trade mark search before applying for registration. This oversight can lead to conflicts with existing word marks, logo marks, or combination marks, resulting in infringement claims or forced rebranding.
Another pitfall is misunderstanding the different types of trademarks and how they apply to your business, especially if you offer services. You should be thinking in terms of service marks that protect your service-based brand identity. For example, using descriptive trademarks or generic trademarks, terms that merely describe your goods or services or are common product names, can leave you without registrable rights or meaningful protection. Strong, distinctive marks are always preferable.
Failing to monitor and enforce your trademark rights is another costly error. If you don’t actively watch for infringers and take timely action, you risk losing your exclusive rights, and your mark may even become generic over time. Additionally, confusing trademarks and service marks, or using the wrong terminology in your filings, can cause unnecessary delays or rejections.
By understanding these common mistakes and taking proactive steps, such as conducting proper searches, choosing distinctive marks, and monitoring your rights, you can build a strong foundation for your brand identity and avoid expensive legal disputes down the road.
International Trade Mark Protection
For businesses with global ambitions, international trade mark protection is essential to safeguard your brand identity across borders. The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) offers the EU trade mark (EUTM), which allows you to secure a single registration valid across all EU member states, an efficient way to protect your mark throughout Europe. Similarly, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) administers the Madrid System, which enables you to extend your trademark protection to multiple countries with a single international application.
Beyond these systems, consider national registration in key markets where you do business, as well as regional options like the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) and the African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI). Each jurisdiction may recognize different types of trademarks, including collective marks, certification marks, and non-traditional marks such as hologram marks.
International trademark protection not only helps prevent counterfeit goods from entering the market but also strengthens your ability to enforce your trademark rights and oppose similar marks filed by others. For example, registering a collective mark or certification mark internationally can help maintain quality standards and protect your reputation worldwide. It is often essential when enrolling in programs like Amazon Brand Registry that rely on valid trademark rights.
By taking a strategic approach to international trade mark protection, you ensure your intellectual property is secure wherever your business grows, giving you the confidence to expand into new markets and defend your brand against global competition.
How to Choose and Protect the Right Type of Trade Mark
Choosing the right types of marks is a strategic branding decision with long-term legal and commercial implications, and many businesses benefit from dedicated trademark registration services with flat-fee guarantees. Here is the step-by-step approach most trade mark attorneys recommend:
Step 1: Define what you need to protect. List your core brand name, any distinctive logos, key slogans, unique packaging, and any sounds, colors, or other non-traditional elements central to your unique identity. Each of these is a potential mark.
Step 2: Assess distinctiveness. Where does each element fall on the spectrum? Fanciful or arbitrary marks are easiest to protect. Descriptive trade marks require proof of acquired distinctiveness. Generic terms aren’t protectable at all.
Step 3: Run clearance searches. Before investing in any mark, search existing trade marks through the USPTO TESS database, the EUIPO database, the UKIPO register, and general searches. A confusingly similar existing mark can block your registration or expose you to infringement claims.
Step 4: Plan registrations by priority. Focus on your most important markets first. For US businesses, federal registration typically comes first, followed by EU or UK filings via the Madrid Protocol or national registration if you’re expanding internationally. File each mark in the appropriate Nice Classification classes of goods or services.
Step 5: Use ™/℠ and ® properly. Use ™ (for goods) or ℠ (for services) even before registration to signal your claim. Once registered, use ® in the territory of registration. Proper notice strengthens rights and deters infringers.
Step 6: Maintain and enforce. Keep records of your first use dates for each mark. File required maintenance documents and renewals on time. Watch the market for infringers and act when needed; a cease-and-desist letter or legal action may be necessary to preserve your rights.
For small business owners starting out, prioritize a strong word mark for your core brand name. Add logo or slogan marks as the budget allows. Consider trade dress or non-traditional marks as your brand matures and develops recognisable visual or sensory elements. Certification and collective marks typically only come into play if you run a standards organisation or trade association.
Your Next Steps to Trade Mark Protection Success
Understanding the types of trade marks available to you is only the beginning. Choosing the right marks, filing in the right categories, and building layered protection around your brand requires a deliberate strategy, and getting it right from the start saves significant time, money, and legal headaches down the road.
The bottom line: a weak trade mark filing gives competitors room to work around your protection and imitate your brand. A strong, strategically filed trade mark deters copycats, signals brand credibility to investors and partners, and gives you real legal teeth when you need to enforce your rights.
Trademark infringement occurs when a competitor uses the same or a confusingly similar trademark for the same or similar products in a jurisdiction where the trademark is protected. In such cases, one party may file a claim or take legal action to enforce their rights and stop the infringement. Monitoring for a similar mark is crucial to prevent infringement and protect your brand’s rights.
Every day you delay is a day a competitor could file first. The US operates on a first-to-file system, and brand identity disputes are far more costly to litigate after the fact than to prevent with proper registration up front. Brands that treat trade mark protection as an afterthought routinely lose market share, revenue, and sometimes the right to use their own name, not because they didn’t build something valuable, but because they didn’t protect it in time.
Here’s what to do next:
- Schedule a Free IP Strategy Call with RLG’s trade mark concierge team to identify which types of marks apply to your brand and develop a prioritized filing plan.
- Audit your brand assets. List every protectable element, name, logo, slogan, packaging, and any distinctive sensory elements, and note which are currently registered, unregistered, or at risk.
- Run a clearance search before committing to any new mark or brand identity investment. A conflict found before filing costs a fraction of what it costs after.
- File your core word mark first. If you do nothing else, protect your brand name as a standard character mark. It’s the foundation on which everything else builds.
At Rapacke Law Group, we make this process straightforward and predictable with affordable, flat-fee intellectual property protection services. Our experienced US attorneys lead your trade mark registration from start to finish on a transparent, flat fee, no hourly billing surprises, no hidden costs. Our trade mark services include unlimited office action responses and full coverage throughout the entire application process.
We’re so confident we’ll get your mark approved that if your trade mark gets rejected, we’ll issue a 100% refund. No questions asked.
Get your trade mark approved or pay nothing. That’s the RLG Guarantee.
Your brand is one of your most valuable business assets. Protect it with the confidence that comes from working with attorneys who specialize in exactly this, and who stand fully behind their work.
To Your Success,
Andrew Rapacke, Managing Partner, Registered Patent Attorney, a US patent and trademark attorney with extensive IP experience, LinkedIn | Twitter/X: @rapackelaw | Instagram: @rapackelaw
