Trademark Registration Process: once granted, use it or lose it

Before you begin the trademark registration process, becoming familiar with the United States Patent and Trademark website is advisable at uspto.gov. The reason is that nearly all, if not all, of the process and transactions that will take place will occur involving the use of the website. There are many different resources that you may need that are available and by becoming familiar, you could save on time and frustration by knowing their location.

The next step that is recommended is determining exactly what type of intellectual property protection that you will be applying for. At this site, there are three different types of protection, the trademark, copyright, and patents. In the trademark section of this website, there are some pages that you could benefit from in the application process. The Basic Facts About Trademarks, Frequently Asked Questions, and the Trademark Manual of Examine Process or TMEP, along with a Glossary of terms to help define exactly what is being asked of the applicant can be found.

Once you know what you specifically want to trademark, the data base must be searched to make sure it has not already been protected. This is with the TESS or the Trademark Electronic Search System that is a part of the USPTO website. If a manual search is preferred, the public search library is open from 8 am to 5:30 pm at Madison East 1^st floor, 600 Dulany St., Alexandria, Virginia 22313.

As part of your application, makes sure your trademark is represented clearly along with a complete description including the goods and or services it will be representing. Without this description, your trademark will not be granted.

To do the actual filing, the TEAS or Trademark Electronic Application System has to be used. This trademark registration process should take no longer than 5 to 6 months.