Patent Attorney and Founder
As you set your budget for your business, you’ll have to incorporate trademark filing fees. A lot of people underestimate this because they don’t understand quite how many trademarks they’ll need. As a company grows, so does its branded assets; every one of them will require protection.
Preparing for ongoing trademark costs starts with an audit of what you have and how you protect it. This is a process that seems deceptively easy to start but will grow more complex over time. It’s best to work with an attorney early to guarantee protection.
Standard Trademark Filing Fees
The initial trademark filing fee will be $250 or $350 per class, depending on whether you use Trademark Electronic Application System Plus or Standard, respectively. That’s pretty straightforward. The fee applies per class of goods or services. The question is, how many of those do you need?
There are 45 categories of goods and services available for trademark registration. The first 34 categories cover goods, while the remainder are services.
Your category is important because that’s where your trademark applies. No one else in that same category of services can use your registered mark. A new business will usually find that their good or service easily fits into one of the above categories and can safely file under a single one.
Larger organizations will have to file multiple applications to cover the scope of goods and services that they offer or a multiple-class amendment to allege use for previously submitted intent-to-use applications. Your fee will then apply based on the number of classes.
These trademark filing fees occur at the initial stage. You’ll also have to pay ongoing fees to keep your trademark active. We often find that “product companies” also benefit from registering in class 35 if they sell direct to consumer from their website.
Trademark Filing Fees to Keep Your Registration Active
There are two fees to consider as you maintain your trademark: renewals and declarations. The renewal fee covers the actual application itself. The declarations center on proving that you’re actively using the trademark, which is one of the requirements for maintaining one.
Declarations are due between years 5 and 6, 9 and 10, and every ten years thereafter. Declaration fees are $225 per class for those filing online, $325 for paper. Your fee will accompany your “Declarations of use and/or Excusable Nonuse” form. This form will outline all the categories of goods you’re registering, as well as any changes or exclusions. You may be required to submit specimens to prove your use.
The renewal fee itself is $300 for electronic and $500 for paper, also on a per-class basis. So overall, your renewal will run you anywhere from $525 to $825 per class, depending on whether you opt for electronic or paper filing.
Late trademark filing fees can also add up, especially as your company grows and your pool of assets widens. It’s best to work with an expert IP attorney early on to stay on top of deadlines and keep your trademarks active.
Bold Patents can help you navigate first-time and maintenance trademark filing fees for the life of your assets. To learn more, give us a call at 800-849-1913.