Unfortunately, trademark protections don’t grow on trees, so you’ll have to shell out a little green of your own to sustain them. In addition to the cost of the initial filing, you will encounter fees for filing a Statement of Use (if your application was originally filed as Intent to Use) and maintaining your trademark. Now don’t panic – you’re not going to be paying hundreds of dollars every year to keep your trademark alive (and if someone is asking for that, it’s probably a scam). Trademark registration requires an initial investment upfront, then fees are assessed every five to ten years (depending on the age of your mark) and the renewal period generally lasts for one year, so you have plenty of time to plan for them.

A few things to keep in mind while we’re talking money: the trademark registration process does involve subjectivity and there are myriad examining attorneys working for the USPTO. There are standard fees incurred for trademark applications and registration maintenance according to current USPTO pricing (as with most things, these prices increase periodically and will not remain static forever), which do not reflect additional charges and fees that may apply to a given registration such as those for adjustments, processing, responses, petitions, Trademark Trial and Appeal Board fees, or attorney fees. Check out our blog about trademark scams and let us know if you need help , whether you’re getting ready to apply or have had an active registration for years.