How To Trademark A Name Maryland?
Any person who adopts and uses a mark in Maryland may file in the Office of the Secretary of State an application for registration of the mark. If the statutory requirements have been met, the Secretary of State will issue a certificate of registration.
Trademarks and Servicemarks booklet. Please be advised that although every effort has been made to reproduce the current text of the Maryland Code for these sections, this office does not warrant the accuracy of this content.
Statutory Authority: Business Regulation Article, §1-401 et seq., For more information call (410) 974-5521 or email [email protected] your question to us.
Contents
How much does it cost to trademark in Maryland?
How does a person apply to register a trademark or service mark? – To apply to register a trade or service mark, a person files:
an application on a form prepared by the Secretary of State; three (3) specimens of the mark as used in commerce; and a fee of $50 (check made payable to the Secretary of State).
Is it worth it to trademark a name?
Editorial Note: We earn a commission from partner links on Forbes Advisor. Commissions do not affect our editors’ opinions or evaluations. Names hold power in business. So establishing ownership of and rights to a business name is an important step for businesses that want to ensure a name remains one-of-a-kind.
Registering a trademark helps protect a name or brand from intellectual property theft or misuse as a business grows. You can start the trademarking process on the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s website. The application can be completed fairly quickly, but the entire process may take several months.
Here’s everything you need to know about how to trademark a name in 2022. Featured Partners Service Time Varies By State & Package Service Time Varies By State & Package Service Time Varies By State & Package
How do I get my name trademarked?
3. File – Once you have completed the application, you have two filing options: TEAS Plus and TEAS Standard, The Plus option is less expensive and more streamlined; it also has a lower rate of rejections. However, if you need to create a custom description of your services or goods that is not available in the preset list Plus provides, the risk associated with the Standard option may be more beneficial for your situation. Key takeaway: To register and trademark your brand name, search the TESS database for similar brand names, fill out the trademark application and submit it to the USPTO for review.
Can I trademark a name myself?
Key Takeaways –
You can trademark your personal name if you want to use it for commercial purposes like selling goods or services. Your name must be unique, and the best names are fanciful (not real words) or arbitrary (not connected to the concept they seem to represent).Registering your name with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office gives you an advantage if you want to bring a lawsuit against someone for trademark infringement. Register your name in as many categories of goods and services as you want to use to market your trademarked name. The Trademark Office doesn’t monitor your trademarked name for infringement; you must do this yourself.
How long does a trademark last?
How Long Do Trademarks Last? – Unlike patents and copyrights, trademarks do not expire after a set period of time. Trademarks will persist so long as the owner continues to use the trademark. Once the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), grants a registered trademark, the owner must continue to use the trademark in ordinary commerce.
Just using the mark, however, is not enough. Trademark section 8 requires the owner to provide evidence that the trademark continues to be in use. To show the mark is still in use, the owner must file a section 8 declaration. That proof takes the form of a sworn statement from the owner that the mark is still in use.
The owner must file the declaration after the fifth anniversary of the USPTO’s registration of the trademark but before the sixth anniversary. For a fee, the owner can request a six-month grace period if the declaration is not filed prior to the sixth anniversary.
What is the cheapest way to trademark?
How much does it cost to trademark a name? – The basic cost to trademark a business name ranges from $225 to $600 per trademark class. This is the cost to submit your trademark application to the USPTO. The easiest and least expensive way to register your trademark is online, through the USPTO’s Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS).
TEAS Plus: $225 per trademark class. TEAS RF: $275 per trademark class. TEAS Regular: $400 per trademark class.
TEAS Plus has the least expensive application process, but you also have to meet more requirements to be able to use that application. You must select from among the USPTO’s list of pre-approved trademark classes, Also, you must pay the per-class filing fee up front and agree to communicate with the USPTO exclusively by email and the online TEAS system.
- TEAS RF is similar, except you don’t have to choose your goods and services up front.
- You can request a custom class of goods or services if you feel your trademark doesn’t fit well into one of the existing categories.
- Finally, the most expensive application, TEAS Regular, is for applicants who want custom classes and the option to receive paper correspondence from the USPTO lawyers who are reviewing your application.
Remember that USPTO fees change from time to time, so it’s best to check before you begin trademark registration.
Which Comes First LLC or trademark?
8. What Comes First LLC or Trademark? – LLC comes first. If you plan to structure your business as an LLC, then you should form the LLC first because the LLC will be the trademark owner, So, the LLC MUST exist before the trademark is filed. Every trademark has an owner, and the owner is usually the person or business that is using it.
What is a poor man’s trademark?
What Is a Poor Man’s Trademark? – A poor man’s trademark, in simple terms, is when a person mails to themselves in an envelope their underlying artwork or name they wish to trademark to themselves using the United States Postal Service. The theory is that, because they have used the United States Postal Service by attaching a stamp to an envelope, it acts as proof that a concept was created on the date that the item was mailed. 
Is it better to patent or trademark?
Frequently Asked Questions –
Do I need a patent or a trademark?
If you’re trying to protect a unique mark that identifies goods from your company, you need to apply for a trademark. If you want to protect a product or the ornamental design of a product, apply for a patent,
How long does it take to get patent approval?
All three types of patents take one to three years to go through the approval process with the USPTO.
How long does it take to get trademark approval?
Trademark approval through the USPTO typically takes between six and 16 months. You can continue using the mark while your application is in process. Adding the TM (trademark) or SM (service mark) symbol to your mark helps stake your claim over this unique design.
How expensive is it to copyright a name?
Fees to Trademark a Business Name – When filing an application to trademark your business name on a federal level through the USPTO, you should count on paying between $250 and $750. According to the USPTO website, the trademark fees you’ll pay depend on:
The number of trademarks you seek The number of classes of goods and services you intend to register under.
An applicant may only apply for a single trademark in an application. The cost to file an application is generally $250-$350.
Can you trademark a name without a logo?
What’s The Difference Between Trademarking a Name versus a Logo? – You can register your business name or slogan as a “”, which is any combination of letters and numbers with no reference to style, design, font or color. According to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the rights in a standard character mark “reside in the wording,” allowing you to “use and protect the mark in any font size, style or color.” Standard character marks offer the broadest possible rights of any single form of trademark protection, but do not protect special designs and coloration.
- A “Standard Character Mark” will provide protection for the name of the business or the slogan for the business, and provides the exclusive right to use the name/slogan in any form in combination with the categories of goods and services that we identify in the application.
- You can also register a stylized design known as a “special form mark,” or “design mark.” Special form marks protect a specific combination of stylized lettering, a design element such as a logo, or both.
This type of protection is ideal for companies looking to protect a distinctive visual aesthetic or signal, but it is fairly limited. Special form rights protect only the particular style registered. If you want to make a design change, you’ll have to file again.
Can you trademark a name already in use but not trademarked?
Can You File for a Trademark That Exists? – Registered trademarks offer certain legal protections to unique items such as logos or designs that are associated with tangible objects. In simple terms, this means if somebody else used a trademark before you, you’re not able to register that trademark for yourself.
- If, however, you used the trademark first and learn that somebody else is using it, you may have grounds to contest their use of the trademark in question.
- Eep in mind this only applies to the market where you were operating when the other entity registered the trademark.
- In cases like this, you have virtually no rights in terms of market expansion.
The entity that registered the trademark with appropriate federal authorities takes priority in every other market, and they have the right to keep you from using the registered trademark in any areas where you weren’t originally using it before they registered.
When a company registers a trademark, they are providing a formal, legally binding notice that they own it and nobody else is authorized to use it. The laws that pertain to trademarks are complicated. This is why many people choose to hire an attorney with specific knowledge and experience in this area if they need to contest a trademark,
An existing product might be protected in multiple ways, such as:
A patent A registered trademark A trade secret
Registering a trademark is only a single part of obtaining strong and enforceable trademark protection. In fact, registering a trademark isn’t a legal requirement when it comes to asserting your ownership. Trademarks become stronger as they are used over a period of time.
Can you trademark a name for free?
A lot of people want to know if there is a way to get a trademark for free. The short answer is, No. You’ll always have at least a small fee to pay. Beyond that, there are several different routes you can take when filing your trademark application. Watch this video to learn about the pros and cons of all the most common options for filing trademark applications.
How much does it cost to put a trademark on something?
Fees to Trademark a Business Name – When filing an application to trademark your business name on a federal level through the USPTO, you should count on paying between $250 and $750. According to the USPTO website, the trademark fees you’ll pay depend on:
The number of trademarks you seek The number of classes of goods and services you intend to register under.
An applicant may only apply for a single trademark in an application. The cost to file an application is generally $250-$350.
How much does it cost to trademark a product?
TEAS Plus and TEAS Standard – There are two kinds of applications that you can use when applying for a federal trademark: TEAS Plus ($250 for each class of goods or services) and TEAS Standard ($350 for each class of goods or services). There is also a TEASi, which enables applicants to file international protections.
The application that you will use is dependent on your filing basis, A bit of a misnomer, the TEAS Plus application is actually the more basic one. It’s faster, doesn’t cost as much and simpler compared to the alternative. When you fill out the TEAS Plus application, you can select from a precompiled list of descriptions of goods and services in the Trademark ID Manual,
Some of these descriptions allow for applicants to customize portions of the description. The room for customization gives some applicants sufficient flexibility to give a precise description of the products or services that they provide. But sometimes, the TEAS Plus application is too rigid for the applicant to properly describe the goods or services that they provide.
What is the fee for trademark?
Types of Trademark symbols –
- TM (™) : TM symbol signifies that the trademark or device mark has been applied with the concerned authorities and is yet to be registered.
- R (Ⓡ) : R symbol denotes that the applied trademark or device mark is registered from the concerned authority.
- SM (℠) : Service Mark symbol signifies that the service or device mark has been applied with the concerned authorities and is yet to be registered.
The Government fees for Trademark registration is ₹4500 for individuals(Proprietorship) and the Government Fees for Trademark registration is ₹9000 for companies(LLP, Partnership Firm, Pvt. ltd. Company). Whereas the Attorney fees for Trademark registration is ₹999 for every applicant entity.
| Fee Type | Individual | Company |
| Government Fee | ₹4,500 per class | ₹9,000 per class |
| Attorney Fee | ₹999 | ₹999 |
| Total Fees | ₹5,499 | ₹9,999 |
Registering your trademark is very important for any business in the long-term. Here are some of the benefits of trademark registration:
- Legal Protection : Trademark registration gives you a superior and legal hand over someone who tries to copy your trademark.
- Trust Building : Trademark helps you maintain and increase your brand value in the market. It builds trust between a consumer and the brand. Registering a trademark creates the face of the company or the goods and services.
- Valuable Asset : Trademark registration in India creates an intangible asset. Registered TM can be sold, assigned, franchised, or commercially contracted to bring benefits to the or the individual proprietor.
- Cost-Effective : Trademark Registration is very cost-efficient. Once you have registered your Trademark, you need not worry about it for at least 10 years until you renew your trademark registration again.
How much does it cost to trademark your logo?
What Does it Cost to Trademark a Logo? – The cost to trademark a logo with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is $275–$660 as of June 2020, plus legal fees. You can register a trademark with your state for $50-$150, but federal registration offers a great deal more legal protection.
- The USPTO offers four different forms, each with different pricing.
- If you file online using the Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS), you can choose from three options.
- File a regular TEAS for $400 or a TEAS RF for $275.
- You can file a TEAS Plus for $225 if you meet certain terms, such as fitting neatly into one of the standard business groups.
Which form you can use will depend on your business and your logo. You can also opt to file a paper form for a flat rate of $600. These fees are valid as of June 2020, according to the USPTO website, Most businesses also choose to pay a lawyer. A law office can conduct a better search to make sure your logo or business name doesn’t belong to anyone else and can help make sure your application is approved.
