Riptide Law

Registering your trademark

The Benefits

Having a Registered Trademark allows your brand to be the only brand using that mark in connection with similar goods and services. Once you have the Registered Trademark you own the mark and have the power to prevent others from using this mark through lawsuits or other recourse.

Registering your trademark is not only critical in protecting your brand, but in creating a vital asset that increases the value of your company. For early-stage companies, protecting your intellectual property, sooner rather than later, vastly increases your attractiveness to potential investors by showing you've taken the necessary steps to mitigate future risk.

The Process

The registration process starts with a clearance search to confirm that there are no confusingly similar marks that already exist. If the clearance search does not uncover any such existing marks, then we'll proceed with the USPTO Trademark Application. Once the application has been filed, the mark will need to overcome a number of hurdles before obtaining a Trademark Registration. Due diligence from the outset will help ensure all such hurdles are ultimately overcome, and that your mark succeeds in obtaining a registration.

The Timeline

Obtaining a Trademark Registration with the USPTO will take approximately 12-18 months, depending on the circumstances. However, once the Trademark Application is filed you can put a ™ symbol next to your mark, which will put others on notice that you are in the process of obtaining a registration for this mark. Once the mark is registered, you may then use the ® symbol next to your mark, which indicates that the mark is registered with the USPTO.

Getting Started

Schedule a free Initial Trademark Consultation where we'll discuss your mark, the viability of achieving a registration, the process by which we'll follow to obtain that registration. During this consultation we will discuss estimated timeline and costs associated with that registration.