Trademark articles
Shorter reads on specific trademark questions, from what a low-cost filing actually includes to what happens after a USPTO publication. For the longer foundational guides, see the trademark resources hub.
Questions to ask before you name or file.
How Do You Choose a Strong Trademark?
How to choose a distinctive name, avoid descriptive wording and common conflict traps, and bring better candidates into clearance.
Read the articleWhat Does a $695 Trademark Filing Include?
A breakdown of what a flat-fee filing typically covers, and what it usually does not.
Read the articleDo I Need a Trademark Search Before Filing?
Why a free USPTO database search is not the same thing as an attorney-directed clearance opinion.
Read the articleCan I Trademark a Business Name Before Launching?
What an intent-to-use application actually requires, and what proof comes due later.
Read the articleWhen Should You File a Trademark?
How a Section 1(b) filing can preserve priority while you prepare to launch, and why even a short delay can matter.
Read the articleShould I File My Business Name, Logo, or Both?
How word marks and logo marks protect different things, and when it makes sense to file both.
Read the articleDo Online Stores Need Class 35?
Why selling your own branded goods online is usually different from operating a retail service.
Read the articleProof of use, and how it differs by business type.
What Makes a Trademark Specimen Unacceptable?
The most common reasons the USPTO rejects proof of use, and how to avoid them.
Read the articleCommon SaaS Trademark Specimen Problems
Why a login screen and a marketing page are not always interchangeable as proof of use.
Read the articleCan a Podcast Title Be Trademarked?
The single-work title limitation, and how a podcast’s brand can extend beyond it.
Read the articleWhat Foreign Applicants Should Expect
The U.S.-counsel requirement and other practical differences for applicants filing from outside the United States.
Read the articlePublication, refusals, and what comes next.
What Happens After the USPTO Publishes a Trademark?
The 30-day opposition window, and who is entitled to use it.
Read the articleWhat Does a Section 2(d) Refusal Mean?
The likelihood-of-confusion refusal, explained, and why it is the most common substantive Office Action.
Read the articleShould I Respond to a Final Office Action or Appeal?
How the calculus changes once an Office Action is marked "final."
Read the articleHave a question these articles don't quite answer?
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