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The cost to trademark a logo involves filing fees for registration with the US Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) and attorneys’ fees. If you want to register a logo, call Revision Legal at 231-714-0100 or 855-473-8474. We are trademark and internet lawyers with proven experience in getting trademarks registered quickly and without complications.
USPTO Fees
In general, the USPTO fee is either $250 or $350 per trademark class that you want to be associated with your trademark. Trademark registration applications are now done electronically and there are two versions that can be used: Trademark Electronic Application System (“TEAS”) plus (costing $250 per class) and TEAS standard (costing $350 per class). See here for the USPTO fee schedule (click on “Trademark Fees”).
As noted, the USPTO fees depend on how many trademark classes you choose. Generally, each trademark must be registered with at least one trademark class. For example, the general trademark class for a video game logo is 009. There are 45 general trademark classes, so any given trademarked logo could be used for more than one trademark class.
Attorneys’ Fees for the Application
Experienced trademark attorneys often charge a flat fee for the filing process (excluding legal services related to any complications that your application might face). Trademarking a logo is more complicated since what is being trademarked is a design or image. Thus, the flat fees charged for trademarking a logo tend to be higher than trademarking a phrase or word. Flat fees for trademarking a logo range from $950 to $2,000 and often include a trademark conflict search service. A logo cannot be registered if it is the same as a logo that has already been registered or that is being used (even if not registered) or that is “confusingly similar” to a registered trademark. Thus, before filing for registration, a conflict search must be done.
Attorneys’ Fees for Legal Challenges or Other Complications
If your trademark application faces a legal challenge or other complications from the USPTO examiner, then legal services will generally be charged hourly. Most trademark attorneys charge between $300 and $600 an hour.
Do I Need a Lawyer to File a Trademark?
No, there is no legal requirement that you hire a trademark attorney to file for a federal trademark.
Should I Hire a Lawyer for Trademarking a Logo?
Yes. You want your trademark registered as quickly as possible and you want it done right! This means a mistake-free application, payment of the proper fees, and resolving — upfront — potential problems with your logo and application. For example, if your logo contains an element that cannot be trademarked — like a common word — an experienced trademark lawyer will include a disclaimer statement with the application. This will prevent rejection by the USPTO on the basis of trying to trademark something that cannot be registered.
Contact the Trademark Attorneys at Revision Legal For more information, contact the experienced Trademark Lawyers at Revision Legal. You can contact us through the form on this page or call (855) 473-8474.
Logo trademark applications receive heightened scrutiny from USPTO examining attorneys because logos involve both visual and conceptual elements. The examiner will analyze whether any part of the logo is merely descriptive or generic — for example, a logo for a bakery that prominently features a plain image of bread with the word “Bread” will likely face a refusal for the descriptive elements, requiring a disclaimer. The examiner will also determine whether the logo’s overall commercial impression is likely to be confused with an already-registered mark.
For design elements, the examiner uses the USPTO Design Search Code Manual to identify what figurative elements are present in the logo — animals, geometric shapes, letters, numbers, celestial bodies, and hundreds of other categories — and then cross-references those elements against existing registrations that may be confusingly similar. A professional trademark attorney uses these same design codes proactively during the clearance search phase to identify potential conflicts before filing, not after a refusal is issued.
For use-based applications, the USPTO requires a “specimen” — real-world evidence of the logo actually being used in commerce in connection with the goods or services identified in the application. For goods, acceptable specimens include product packaging, labels, and hangtags showing the logo as it appears on the product offered for sale. A photo of the logo hanging on a wall or displayed at a trade show booth will typically be rejected. For services, acceptable specimens include website screenshots, advertisements, and brochures showing the logo in connection with the services being offered.
Specimen refusals are among the most common Office Actions in logo trademark applications. The examiner may reject a specimen as ornamental — meaning the logo is displayed in a decorative way that does not signal the source of the goods — or as mere advertising that does not directly connect the mark to a specific service. An experienced trademark attorney will help you select and prepare a specimen that satisfies the USPTO’s requirements before you file, reducing the risk of refusal and the associated delay and additional expense.
Once registered, a logo trademark is an enforceable asset. If a competitor begins using a logo that is confusingly similar to yours — even if it is not identical — you have the right to send a cease and desist letter, file a complaint with the USPTO to cancel their registration if they obtain one, and pursue trademark infringement litigation in federal court. Under the Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1114, a trademark owner who proves infringement can recover the infringer’s profits, actual damages, enhanced damages for willful infringement, and attorneys’ fees in exceptional cases.
Monitoring for potential infringement is an ongoing obligation. Logo trademarks can be diluted — meaning their distinctiveness is weakened — if similar marks are allowed to proliferate without challenge. A trademark attorney can help you set up a monitoring program and advise on when to act on potential infringements versus when a conflict does not rise to the level requiring legal action. Consistent, proportionate enforcement protects the value of your registration and demonstrates to the USPTO — in future maintenance filings — that the mark remains actively in use and defended.
Registering a trademark is one of the smartest investments you can make as a business owner. A trademark protects your brand, gives you exclusive rights to use your mark in commerce, and provides significant legal advantages — including a presumption of ownership and the ability to bring infringement claims in federal court. But many business […]
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