Trademark guides in plain English
Plain-English help
Short guides to protecting your name.
- How to trademark a business nameWhat a trademark is, what registering it gets you, and the steps to file one with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
- Trademark, copyright or patent: which one do you need?Three different protections for three different things. A quick way to tell which one fits.
- Why trademark applications get refused, and how to avoid itThe most common reasons the government says no to a name or logo, and what you can check before you pay.
- What a trademark costs, and what happens after you fileThe government fee per class, the extra charges to avoid, how long it takes, and what happens next.
Want it done right the first time?
Answer a few plain questions. My Trademark Pro works out the classes, warns you about the usual problems, and gives you the exact answer for every box. You file it online yourself.
Start my filing
Answer a few plain questions. My Trademark Pro works out the classes, warns you about the usual problems, and gives you the exact answer for every box. You file it online yourself.
Start my filing
This guide is general information, not legal advice. My Trademark Pro is not a law firm and does not give legal advice. We prepare your filing; you file it yourself on the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office website. The USPTO, not My Trademark Pro, decides whether to register a mark. Fees and rules are set by the USPTO and can change. Its website, uspto.gov, has the current ones.