How long does the whole process take?+
A clearance report is delivered in 3–5 business days, and an application is drafted and filed within a week of your sign-off. From there the USPTO sets the pace: a first examination response usually lands around 8–10 months after filing, and most marks reach registration in 12–18 months when nothing is contested.
In use or intent to use — which package do I need?+
If you are already selling under the name, you file in use under Section 1(a): Essential at $2,000, Core at $2,500, or Creator Persona & NIL at $2,800. If you are launching within the next 3 to 36 months, you file intent-to-use under Section 1(b): Essential at $2,500, Prospective at $3,000, or Creator Persona & NIL at $3,300. All three intent-to-use options include the later Statement of Use drafting and $150 USPTO SOU fee.
Do I need a clearance search before I file?+
It is not required by the USPTO, but it is the single best way to avoid paying twice. The stand-alone Clearance Report is $797 and comes with a written attorney opinion; Core, Prospective, and Creator Persona & NIL all include the same multi-database search in their flat fee. Only the Essential package assumes you already have a formal search and a green light to file.
What should I have ready before we file?+
Bring the exact mark (word, logo, or both), the legal owner — your LLC, corporation, or yourself — with its state and address, a plain list of the goods or services you sell, and the date you first used the mark in commerce. If you are filing in use, send one clear specimen: a product photo, label, packaging shot, or screenshot showing the mark as customers actually see it.
What happens if the USPTO examiner pushes back?+
Every filing package includes responses to all standard non-substantive Office Actions — the routine requests for a clearer description, a specimen fix, or a disclaimer. A substantive refusal, where the examiner rejects the mark on likelihood-of-confusion or distinctiveness grounds, is argued on its own merits and quoted to you separately before anything is billed.
Does the USPTO enforce my trademark once it's registered?+
No. The USPTO only registers marks—it never polices the market. Enforcement is entirely on you. Because formal legal enforcement requires an active registration, our post-registration watch services handle federal register tracking, cease-and-desist demands, and platform takedowns once your mark is officially registered.
Can you protect a stage name, podcast title, or AI voice?+
Yes. The Creator Persona & NIL Package ($2,800 in-use / $3,300 intent-to-use) protects stage names, avatars, catchphrases, and voice models across merch, media, and digital goods, including required USPTO consent filings. It's the same playbook creators and public figures from Taylor Swift to Matthew McConaughey use to lock down their persona rights.
What isn't included in the flat fee?+
These fees cover advice, search, filing, and standard prosecution through registration. Litigation, oppositions and cancellations before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, appeals, foreign filings, and substantive examiner refusals are outside the packages and quoted separately. Extensions of time for a Statement of Use are billed at $250 attorney fee plus the $125 USPTO fee per extension.