Using a Trademark Before Registration — Here’s What to Know Yes, you can use a trademark before it’s registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). You can even apply to register a mark before you’ve used it, as long as you have a genuine intent to use it soon. Both paths are […]
Can I Use a Trademark Before It’s Registered? Read More »
Does a Trademark Registration Expire? A trademark registration doesn’t expire the way a patent does — but it can be canceled if you don’t maintain it. There’s no fixed end date. As long as you continue using the mark in commerce and file the required maintenance documents on time, your registration can last indefinitely. A
Does a Trademark Expire? Read More »
Here’s What the New USPTO Serial Number Series Means for Your Trademark Application Starting July 18, 2026, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will begin assigning new trademark application serial numbers that start with “50” instead of continuing the current “99” series. This is simply a numbering update, not a change to how
USPTO Trademark Serial Numbers Are Getting a New Prefix in 2026 Read More »
The TM Symbol: What It Means and When to Use It The ™ symbol means you’re claiming a word, name, phrase, or logo as your trademark. Anyone can use it — no registration required. It’s a way of putting others on notice that you consider the mark yours. TM Doesn’t Mean Your Mark Is Registered
What Does “TM” Actually Mean? Read More »
What Is the USPTO and What Does It Do? The USPTO — short for the United States Patent and Trademark Office — is the federal agency responsible for registering trademarks and patents in the United States. If you’re building a brand and want legal protection for your business name, logo, or slogan, the USPTO is
What Is the USPTO? Read More »
What a Professional Trademark Search Actually Covers Most people who come to trademark research for the first time assume the process is simple: type the name into the USPTO database, see if anything comes up, and move forward if it looks clear. It’s an understandable assumption — but it significantly underestimates what a real trademark
What Does a Trademark Search Actually Cover? Read More »
Trademark a Business Name in Two States — What You Need to Know Yes — you can protect a business name in more than one state, but how you do it depends on the type of trademark protection you’re pursuing. State trademark registrations are filed individually, federal trademark registration covers all 50 states at once,
Can You Trademark a Business Name in Two States? Read More »
How to Trademark Your SaaS Brand To trademark a SaaS brand, you file for protection in the class covering software-as-a-service — typically USPTO Trademark Class 42, which covers software provided online and complete a comprehensive trademark search first to confirm your brand name is available. The process follows the same general path as any
How to Trademark a SaaS Brand Read More »
5 Trademark Questions Every Business Should Ask Filing a trademark application is one of the most important steps you can take to protect your brand — but it’s not the first step. Before you submit anything to the USPTO, there are five questions worth asking. The answers will help you file smarter, avoid common pitfalls,
5 Questions to Ask Before Filing a Trademark Read More »
Trademark vs DBA — What’s the Difference and Do You Need Both? A trademark protects your brand. A DBA — short for “doing business as” — lets you operate under a trade name. They’re not the same thing, and one does not replace the other. Many businesses need both, but only a trademark gives you
How to Trademark an Acronym Acronyms make great brand names. They’re short, memorable, and easy to say. But when it comes to trademarking one, the answer isn’t as simple as “yes” or “no.” Whether an acronym qualifies for federal trademark registration depends on how the USPTO views the relationship between the acronym and the words
Can You Trademark an Acronym? Read More »
What to Do When Your Trademark Search Uncovers a Conflict Finding out your desired trademark is already taken — or dangerously close to something that is — can feel like a setback. But discovering a conflict during your trademark search is actually a good thing. It means you found the problem before you filed, before
What Happens If My Trademark Search Finds a Conflict? Read More »
How to Trademark a Dating App Brand Launching a dating app is exciting—but protecting your brand is just as important as building your user base. If you’re wondering how to trademark your dating app brand, the process involves choosing a strong name, conducting a thorough search, and filing correctly with the USPTO. In this guide,
How to Trademark a Dating App Read More »
Your Trademark Search Came Back Clear — But Is the Result Actually Reliable? Getting a clear trademark search result feels like a win. It means your brand name appears to be available, and you’re one step closer to moving forward with confidence. But before you start filing paperwork or scaling your brand, there’s one question
What to Do After Your Trademark Search Comes Back Clear Read More »
Can Two Brands Use the Same Name? The short answer is: sometimes — but that doesn’t mean it’s safe. Business names exist in several overlapping legal systems, and whether two companies can share a name depends on a lot of factors. If you’re naming a new business or protecting an existing one, this is exactly
Can Two Businesses Have the Same Name? Read More »
What Is the Difference Between the USPTO Trademark Search and a Professional Trademark Search? If you are getting ready to file a trademark application, you have probably come across two options for searching existing marks: the USPTO’s free Trademark Search tool and professional trademark search services. They are not the same thing — and understanding
USPTO Trademark Search vs. Professional Trademark Search Read More »
What You Need to Know to Trademark Your Wine Brand You’ve built a wine brand — a name, a label, maybe a story that runs through every bottle you produce. Protecting that brand with a federal trademark registration is one of the smartest moves you can make. It gives you nationwide rights to your brand
How to Trademark a Wine Brand Read More »
Celebrities Are Trademarking Their Voices and Likenesses to Fight AI Deepfakes Celebrities are filing federal trademark applications to protect their voices, images, and signatures phrases from unauthorized AI-generated content — and the trend is growing fast. You may have seen the headlines. Major names in entertainment have started using trademark law as a tool to
How Celebrities Are Using Trademarks to Fight AI Deepfakes Read More »
Filing in One Trademark Class or Several? Here’s How to Decide When you’re preparing to file a trademark application, one of the first decisions you’ll face is which class — or classes — your goods and services belong in. It sounds straightforward until you realize there are 45 international trademark classes, and your brand might
One Trademark Class vs. Multiple — When Do You Need Both? Read More »
What Happens to Your Trademark When You Rebrand? If you’ve recently changed your business name or you’re considering a rebrand, you might be wondering: Do I need a new trademark? The short answer is: usually, yes — but the specifics depend on how much your name changed, what your current trademark covers, and how you’re
Do I Need a New Trademark After Changing My Business Name? Read More »
