Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Https

The site is secure. A lock ( lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Jump to main content

USPTO - United States Patent and Trademark Office
United States Patent and Trademark Office - An Agency of the Department of Commerce

  • Search

  • Find it Fast Links

  • Menu

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

User account menu

  • About Us
  • Jobs
  • Contact Us
  • MyUSPTO

Main navigation

  • Patents
    • Getting started
    • Patent basics
    • Process overview
    • Legal assistance and resources
    • International cooperation
    • Patent FAQs
    • Application process
    • Search for patents
    • Learn about patent classification
    • Filing online
    • Checking application status
    • Responding to Office actions
    • Petitions
    • Patent Trial and Appeal Board
    • Maintaining a patent
    • Maintenance fees
    • Correcting your patent
    • Transferring ownership
    • Ordering certified documents
    • Tools & links
    • Online patent tools

      Locate online patent services and information

    • Patent Center

      File and manage patent applications online

    • Patent fees

      View fees and pay online

    • Check application status

      Check patent application status in Patent Center

    • Global Dossier

      View international patent filings

    • Electronic Business Center

      Support center for help with Patent Center and other electronic services

    • Patent data visualization dashboard
    • More tools & links
  • Trademarks
    • Getting started
    • Trademark basics
    • Process overview
    • Trademark videos
    • Trademark FAQs
    • Hiring a U.S.-licensed attorney
    • Madrid Protocol international protection
    • Protect against trademark scams
    • Application process
    • Search our trademark database
    • Apply online
    • Disclosure of public information
    • Checking application status & viewing documents
    • Responding to office actions
    • Abandoned applications
    • Ordering certified documents
    • Trademark Trial and Appeal Board
    • Maintaining a trademark registration
    • Keeping your registration alive
    • Forms to file
    • Checking registration status & viewing documents
    • Enforcing your trademark rights/trademark litigation
    • Transferring ownership
    • Tools & links
    • Apply online (TEAS)

      File a trademark application and other documents online through TEAS.

    • Check application status (TSDR)

      Check trademark application status and view all documents associated with an application/registration.

    • Trademark fees

      Trademark fees and payment

    • Trademark Trial and Appeal Board
    • More tools & links
  • IP Policy
    • IP policy
    • Patent policy
    • Industrial design policy
    • Trademark policy
    • Copyright policy
    • Enforcement policy
    • Trade secret policy
    • International affairs
    • IP Attaché Program
    • China IP
    • IPR toolkits
    • International intergovernmental organizations
    • IP research and training
    • Economic research
    • Global Intellectual Property Academy
    • Tools & links
    • Legislative resources

      Learn about our current legislative initiatives.

    • IPR toolkits

      Find out how to protect intellectual property in other countries.

    • IP policy events

      Find upcoming programs related to IP policy and international affairs

    • More tools & links
  • Learning and Resources
    • Resources by audience
    • Attorneys, agents & paralegals
    • Inventors & entrepreneurs
    • Kids & educators
    • Media
    • Researchers & librarians
    • Patent & trademark practitioners
    • IP awards and recognition
    • Getting started
    • Create an account
    • General FAQs
    • IP Identifier
    • Glossary of terms
    • How-to videos
    • Access free services
    • Inspiring stories of innovation
    • Publications & data
    • Open data portal
    • Federal Register Notices
    • Official Gazette
    • XML resources
    • Classification
    • Guidance documents
    • Statistics and dashboards
    • Tools & links
    • Fees and payment

      Learn about fees and pay online

    • Training and events

      Register for a virtual or in-person event

    • System availability

      Current status and planned maintenance for USPTO systems

    • Operational status

      Major events impacting customers

    • More tools & links

Mobile main menu

  • Patents
    • Back
    • Getting started
      • Back
      • Patent basics
      • Process overview
      • Legal assistance and resources
      • International cooperation
      • Patent FAQs
    • Application process
      • Back
      • Patent Public Search
      • Search for patents
      • Learn about patent classification
      • Filing online
      • Checking application status
      • Responding to Office actions
      • Petitions
      • Patent Trial and Appeal Board
    • Maintaining a patent
      • Back
      • Maintenance fees
      • Correcting your patent
      • Transferring ownership
      • Ordering certified documents
    • More Patents
      • Back
      • Initiatives
      • Forms
      • Fees & payment information
      • Patents Announcements
      • Patents Ombuds
      • Laws and Regulations
      • Contact Patents
      • Patent Technology Centers Management
    • Tools & links
      • Back
      • Online patent tools
      • Patent Center
      • Patent fees
      • Check application status
      • Global Dossier
      • Electronic Business Center
      • Patent data visualization dashboard
      • More tools & links
  • Trademarks
    • Back
    • Getting started
      • Back
      • Trademark basics
      • Process overview
      • Trademark videos
      • Trademark FAQs
      • Hiring a U.S.-licensed attorney
      • Madrid Protocol international protection
      • Protect against trademark scams
    • Application process
      • Back
      • Search our trademark database
      • Apply online
      • Disclosure of public information
      • Checking application status & viewing documents
      • Responding to office actions
      • Abandoned applications
      • Ordering certified documents
      • Trademark Trial and Appeal Board
    • Maintaining a trademark registration
      • Back
      • Keeping your registration alive
      • Forms to file
      • Checking registration status & viewing documents
      • Enforcing your trademark rights/trademark litigation
      • Transferring ownership
    • More Trademarks
      • Back
      • Trademark Updates and Announcements
      • Laws & Regulations
      • Fees & payment information
      • Guides, Manuals, and Resources
      • Sound Marks
      • Transferring Ownership / Assignments
      • Documents for prosecutors
      • Trademark Timelines
      • Contact Trademarks
    • Tools & links
      • Back
      • Apply online (TEAS)
      • Check application status (TSDR)
      • Trademark fees
      • Trademark Trial and Appeal Board
      • More tools & links
  • IP Policy
    • Back
    • IP policy
      • Back
      • Patent policy
      • Industrial design policy
      • Trademark policy
      • Copyright policy
      • Enforcement policy
      • Trade secret policy
      • International Protection
    • International affairs
      • Back
      • IP Attaché Program
      • China IP
      • IPR toolkits
      • International intergovernmental organizations
    • IP research and training
      • Back
      • Economic research
      • Global Intellectual Property Academy
    • Tools & links
      • Back
      • Legislative resources
      • IPR toolkits
      • IP policy events
      • More tools & links
  • Learning and Resources
    • Back
    • Resources by audience
      • Back
      • Attorneys, agents & paralegals
      • Inventors & entrepreneurs
      • Kids & educators
      • Media
      • Researchers & librarians
      • Patent & trademark practitioners
      • IP awards and recognition
    • Getting started
      • Back
      • Create an account
      • General FAQs
      • IP Identifier
      • Glossary of terms
      • How-to videos
      • Access free services
      • Inspiring stories of innovation
    • Publications & data
      • Back
      • Open data portal
      • Federal Register Notices
      • Official Gazette
      • XML resources
      • Classification
      • Guidance documents
      • Statistics and dashboards
    • Tools & links
      • Back
      • Fees and payment
      • Training and events
      • System availability
      • Operational status
      • More tools & links
    • More Learning and Resources
      • Back
      • Examiner Training Materials
      • Educational Resources
      • National Medal of Technology and Innovation
      • Order Print Publications
      • Other Web Resources
      • Statistics
  • About Us
    • Back
    • Initiatives
    • Financial and Performance
    • USPTO Locations
    • Patent and Trademark Resource Centers
    • Vendor Information
  • Jobs
  • Contact Us
  • MyUSPTO
Find It Fast
Patents
Patent Public Search
Patent search
Patent Center
Forms
Patent filing and status
Global Dossier
Access international patent data
Pay maintenance fees
Pay or look up maintenance fees
P-TACTS
PTAB Decisions
Track Patent Trial and Appeal Board cases and decisions
Search assignment
Record assignment
Search recorded assignment and record ownership changes
MPEP
Classification
Guides and manuals
Trademarks
Trademark search
Search trademark database
Trademark Center
TEAS
Forms
Trademark filing
TSDR
Status, documents, and certificates
TTAB Center
ESTTA
TTABVUE
Trademark Trial and Appeal Board
Search assignment
Record assignment
Search recorded assignment and record ownership changes
TMEP
ID Manual
TMOG
TBMP
Guides and manuals
Trademark processing wait times
Current and target wait times
Fees and Payment
Fee schedule and payment information
Systems status
Current and planned system outages

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Trademarks
  3. Trademark basics

Trademark basics

Image
Trademark registration process steps, the application, examination, publication, and registration words in arrow shapes of green, yellow, purple, and blue colors

Do you have a name or logo you're using to advertise your business? You might have a trademark. Learn how to protect it through the federal registration process.​

Title
Learning the essentials

  • What is a trademark?
  • Trademark, patent, or copyright
  • Trademark examples
  • Scope of protection
  • Strong trademarks
  • Why register your trademark?
  • Online trademark tools

Title
Understanding the process

  • Do I need an attorney?
  • How long does it take to register?
  • Checking status
  • Examination of your application
  • Approval for publication
  • Receiving your registration
  • Maintaining your registration

Title
Preparing to file

  • Why search for similar trademarks?
  • Application requirements
  • How much does it cost?
  • Application filing basis
  • Goods and services
  • Drawings and specimens
  • Common problems in applications
A yellow sticky note is attached to the bottom-right hand corner of a computer monitor. The sticky notes says “response deadline.” The computer monitor shows a webpage from USPTO.GOV titled “Responding to office actions.”

Webpage

Learn about responding to office actions
Trademark basics registration toolkit

DIGITAL GUIDE

Trademark Registration Toolkit
Two spotlights shining across each other displaying the letters “I” and “P”

IP Identifier

Learn the type of intellectual property you have and how to protect it
share Share this page     print Print this page
Additional information  about this page
Additional information about this page
Last updated on: Nov 4, 2024 10:13 AM EST
Published on: Mar 31, 2021 12:11 PM EDT
Owned by: Trademarks

Receive updates from the USPTO

About the USPTO Search for patents Search for trademarks
US Department of Commerce
Accessibility
Privacy Policy
Terms of Use
Financial and Performance Data
Vulnerability Disclosure Policy
Freedom of Information Act
Inspector General
NoFEAR Act
USA.gov
USPTO - United States Patent and Trademark Office
Follow us USPTO Facebook page USPTO Instagram page USPTO Linkedin page USPTO X page USPTO Youtube page
Back to top