Trademarks 101
Educational resources for brand owners and first-time filers. View all articles →
- How to Check If a Business Name Is Already Trademarked (Before You Launch)
Before you buy the domain, design the logo, or file the LLC, spend ten minutes making sure your name isn't already someone else's trademark. Here's exactly how — and the two mistakes that give founders false confidence.
Jun 2, 2026 - Trademark Attorney Cost: What You'll Actually Pay in 2026
How much does a trademark attorney cost? If you have searched for a straight answer, you have probably found vague ranges like "$500 to $5,000" that leave you no closer to an actual budget.
Mar 2, 2026 - How to Trademark a Logo: Complete Design Protection Guide
Your logo is often the first thing customers recognize about your brand. Before a single word registers, the shape, color, and design of your mark have already made an impression.
Feb 26, 2026 - How to Trademark a Name: Step-by-Step Guide for 2026
Learning how to trademark a name is one of the most important steps you can take to protect your business.
Feb 24, 2026 - Trademark Monitoring: The Complete Guide to Protecting Your Brand
Every year, the USPTO processes roughly 800,000 new trademark applications. Any one of those filings could conflict with your registered mark — and the USPTO won't flag it for you.
Feb 23, 2026 - What Happens After Filing: The Trademark Examination Process Step by Step
You have filed your trademark application. You have a serial number. Now what?
Feb 22, 2026 - USPTO Fee Changes Explained: How to Avoid Surcharges
On January 18, 2025, the most significant restructuring of USPTO trademark fees in years took effect.
Feb 21, 2026 - TTAB Proceedings Explained: Oppositions, Cancellations & Appeals
Every year, thousands of trademark disputes are decided not in a courtroom but before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board -- the TTAB.
Feb 18, 2026 - Trademark Basics: The Complete Beginner's Guide
If you are building a business or creating a brand, understanding trademark basics is one of the most important legal steps you can take.
Feb 17, 2026 - Design Search Codes Explained: How the USPTO Classifies Visual Trademarks
When you file a word mark like NIKE or APPLE, the USPTO can search for conflicts using text -- comparing letter sequences, phonetic similarity, and meaning.
Feb 12, 2026 - Madrid Protocol: Complete Guide for US Filers
Filing for trademark protection in multiple countries used to mean navigating separate legal systems, hiring local attorneys in every jurisdiction, and paying a small fortune in duplicated fees.
Feb 8, 2026 - Section 8 and 9 Maintenance: Trademark Renewal Deadlines and Requirements
Registering a trademark is a milestone, but it is not the finish line.
Feb 6, 2026 - TEAS Plus vs Trademark Center: A Filing Comparison Guide
If you have been filing trademark applications for any length of time, you developed muscle memory around TEAS.
Feb 4, 2026 - The USPTO ID Manual: How to Select Goods and Services for Your Trademark
Every trademark application requires a description of the goods or services the mark will cover. Get it right and your application moves forward smoothly at the lowest filing cost.
Jan 31, 2026 - Free Trademark Lookup: How to Search the USPTO Database
Before you invest real money and reputation in a name, GleanMark's fast, free trademark lookup tool helps you spot problems before you file — using the same federal trademark data the USPTO relies on, plus extra context the government site won't give you.
Nov 29, 2025 - DuPont Factors Explained: Winning Likelihood-of-Confusion Trademark Refusals
When the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) examines a trademark application or when courts evaluate potential trademark infringement, the fundamental question is whether consumers are likely to be confused about the source of goods or services.
Nov 13, 2025 - Trademark Status Codes (TM5): Plain-English Guide to USPTO Updates
You check your trademark application on USPTO.gov and see "Status Code 630." Then you visit TSDR (Trademark Status and Document Retrieval) and see "LIVE/APPLICATION/Awaiting Examination."
Nov 12, 2025 - Trademark Life Cycle: Stages, Deadlines, and Maintenance Checklist
A practical roadmap to the USPTO process—from filing under §1(a) or §1(b), through examination, publication, registration, and long-term maintenance—with links to the official rules and a summary timeline you can share with your team.
Nov 11, 2025 - Trademark vs. .com Domain — Which Matters More?
Entrepreneurs launching a new brand face a critical early decision: should they prioritize securing a.com domain or filing a trademark application?
Nov 5, 2025 - Creative Brand Naming Strategies: Tips for Building a Distinctive Trademark
A distinctive brand name is the foundation of a successful trademark. It should capture your company’s identity and resonate with customers while being legally protectable.
Nov 3, 2025 - Trademarking in the Digital Age: Domain Names, Social Media and Cybersquatting
The internet makes it easier than ever for a brand to reach customers around the world, but it also exposes trademarks to new forms of misuse.
Oct 20, 2025 - International Trademark Protection and the Madrid Protocol
As your business expands abroad, securing trademark rights in other countries becomes critical. Trademark rights are territorial; registration in the United States does not extend beyond its borders.
Oct 6, 2025 - Dilution, Genericide and Other Threats to Your Brand
Protecting a trademark involves more than stopping direct infringers. Famous and strong marks face unique threats such as dilution, genericide and misuses that weaken their distinctiveness.
Sep 22, 2025 - Trademark Infringement vs. Counterfeiting: What’s the Difference?
Trademark owners often use the terms "infringement" and "counterfeiting" interchangeably, but they refer to different types of violations with distinct legal implications.
Sep 8, 2025 - Enforcing Your Trademark Rights: Monitoring and Policing Your Brand
Obtaining a registration is only half of the journey. Trademarks are valuable only if you enforce them.
Aug 25, 2025 - Responding to Office Actions and Overcoming Refusals
Receiving an office action from the USPTO can feel daunting, but it is a common part of the trademark application process.
Aug 11, 2025 - Trademark Application Fees and Processing Times: Plain-English Guide
Before filing a trademark, it’s important to understand the costs involved and how long the process will take. Planning your budget and timeline helps you allocate resources and manage expectations.
Jul 28, 2025 - Filing Your Trademark Application via TEAS: A Step‑by‑Step Guide
After choosing a strong, available mark and preparing your application materials, you are ready to file with the USPTO.
Jul 14, 2025 - How to Conduct a Trademark Search Like a Pro
A thorough search is the most cost‑effective step you can take before filing. Performing a proper search reduces the risk of costly office actions, oppositions and infringement lawsuits.
Jun 30, 2025 - Preparing to File: Key Steps Before You Apply
Before you click "Submit" on a trademark application, invest time in preparation. Filing without proper groundwork can lead to refusals or wasted resources.
Jun 16, 2025 - Do Trademarks Expire? Maintaining and Renewing Your Registration
Unlike patents and copyrights, trademarks do not expire after a set term; they can last indefinitely, provided you continue to use the mark in commerce and meet periodic maintenance requirements[40].
Jun 2, 2025 - What Can Be Trademarked? Examples and Limitations
Trademarks extend beyond names to include a wide range of brand elements. Under U.S.
May 19, 2025 - TM vs SM vs ®: When to Use Each Trademark Symbol
trademark symbols communicate your claim to a mark and can deter potential infringers.
May 5, 2025 - How to Choose a Strong Trademark for Your Startup
Selecting a trademark is both a creative exercise and a legal evaluation.
Apr 21, 2025 - The Spectrum of Distinctiveness: How Strong Is Your Mark?
Trademark law categorizes marks along a spectrum from strongest to weakest. Fanciful marks are invented words with no meaning outside their use as a brand, such as KODAK or EXXON[26].
Apr 7, 2025 - Types of Trademarks: Word Marks, Logos, Slogans, Sounds and More
Trademarks are not limited to names or logos. The USPTO recognizes a wide range of identifiers that can function as trademarks — any symbol, word, phrase, design, sound, color, or combination that identifies and distinguishes the source of goods or services.
Mar 24, 2025 - Why Register Your Trademark? Benefits Beyond Common‑Law Rights
Using a mark in commerce confers common‑law rights, but those rights are confined to the geographic area where the mark is used[17].
Mar 10, 2025 - Trademark vs. Patent vs. Copyright: A Practical Guide for Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurs often confuse trademarks with patents and copyrights. Each form of intellectual property serves a distinct purpose.
Feb 24, 2025 - What is a Trademark? Definition, Purpose and Common Misconceptions
A trademark is any word, phrase, symbol, design or combination used to identify goods or services and distinguish them from those of others.
Feb 10, 2025