How long does it take to register a trademark?

Your trademark is a visual representation of your company’s brand. It is important for marketing and brand recognition purposes. You will include it on your packaging, on your social media pages and in your advertisements.

Once you have a trademarked logo formally registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), you don’t have to worry about other businesses stealing your trademark in an attempt to trick your customer base. While you can start using a design, logo, symbol or phrase to represent your business in your marketing and on your packaging as soon as you commit to the concept, you will only have full legal protections after completing the formal trademark registration process.

How long will it take to go from the design stages to completion?

Trademark registration can take more than a year

There are many stages that your company will need to complete for formal trademark registration. One of the most important will be the research phase. You want to ensure that the mark you intend to submit is not materially similar to a trademark used by any other company. You will also need to ensure that it qualifies as a trademark.

You will need to format the mark appropriately and submit it electronically to the USPTO. Although technically domestic companies do not require a lawyer for such filings, the process will be easier to manage if you partner with legal assistance. Your lawyer can then handle the process of cooperating with the USPTO and responding to any issues that arise. The entire process typically takes between 12 and 18 months to complete.

Is registering a trademark worth it?

Although there can be some investment of both time and financial resources required in the process of registering your trademark, doing so could be a very smart move for your company’s future. The bigger you expect your company to become and the more competition there is for your niche of the market, the more benefit you may derive from protecting your trademark and other brand identifiers.

Learning more about how to protect your intellectual property will help your business make the most of the laws that exist for its benefit.