How much does it cost to trademark your slogan?
Asked by: Ms. Hildegard Sanford | Last update: April 21, 2026Score: 4.5/5 (49 votes)
Trademarking a slogan costs roughly $250 to $350 in USPTO filing fees for a basic application (per class of goods/services), using the lower-cost TEAS Plus form, but can reach $350+ for TEAS Standard; attorney fees, a required Statement of Use (if not used in commerce yet), and ongoing maintenance fees add to the total, potentially bringing costs to $1,000 or more when professional help and all steps are included, with filings needing to be renewed periodically.
How much does it cost to trademark a slogan?
Trademark Cost
Trademarking a slogan comes with the same fees as other trademarks. The cost will range from $250 to $400 dependent on the TEAS form you use. The price is inversely related to strictness of the requirements you must meet. You'll see the lowest fees with the TEAS Plus application which is $250 per class.
Is it worth trademarking a slogan?
If you are using a catch phrase, tag line, or sales line with your goods or services, then yes, it is almost always worth it to trademark that phrase if it is available.
Can you trademark a slogan?
When a slogan is used to identify the source or provider of certain goods or services, then the slogan is a trademark. A slogan can never be copyrighted. A copyright legally protects creative works. Because a slogan is short and usually not very original, it wouldn't meet the requirements of copyright protection.
Is it better to trademark or LLC?
An LLC protects personal assets from business liabilities (legal structure), while a trademark protects brand identity like names, logos, and slogans from copycats (intellectual property); they serve different roles, with an LLC forming the business foundation and a trademark safeguarding its brand, often used together for comprehensive business protection. Forming the LLC first offers a legal entity, but registering the trademark first secures brand rights earlier, with many recommending an availability search before either.
Trademark Your Slogan Like a Pro: Essential Tips for Success | ✅ Step-By-Step Trademark Protection
What are the disadvantages of a trademark?
This article will take you through 5 disadvantages of trade marks.
- Trade Mark Classes Cannot Be Altered. One key difficulty with trade marks is that you cannot alter trade mark classes. ...
- Difficulty with Litigation. ...
- Renewals. ...
- Protection Limitations. ...
- Risk of Being Genericised.
What is stronger, TM or R?
Legal Protection: The ® symbol provides stronger legal protection than ™. It gives you the right to sue for trademark infringement if someone else tries to use your registered trademark without permission.
How do I protect my slogan?
How best to protect your company slogan is a business decision. If nobody else in your market area in your field of work is using that slogan, you can claim it as a trademark. If you print it on your cards, be sure to use the TM symbol beside it to show the public that you are claiming it as a trademark.
What phrases can you not trademark?
What Words Cannot Be Trademarked?
- Generic Terms. (Example: “Coffee” for a coffee shop) ...
- Descriptive Terms Without Distinctiveness. (Example: “Best Miami Plumber”) ...
- Geographically Descriptive Names. (Example: “Orlando Roofing Services”) ...
- Surnames (Last Names) (Example: “Johnson Plumbing”) ...
- Common Phrases or Industry Terms.
How long does it take to trademark a slogan?
The trademark process can take between 13-18 months, depending on the circumstances of an application. This trademark timeline is so long because it is, at its core, a federal legal proceeding that involves Federal Statutes and a Federal Agency.
Can someone steal my logo if it's not trademarked?
If your logo is registered with the USPTO (U.S. Patent and Trademark Office), you have a strong legal foundation to stop others from using it. But even without registration, you may still have common law rights if you've been using the logo consistently in commerce.
What qualifies as a slogan?
A slogan is a sentence or phrase that helps people notice and recognize your brand, services, or products. These are short—a phrase, a sentence, or at most a few short sentences—and should be unique and easy to remember.
How to trademark a slogan for free?
You cannot register a trademark for free because every application filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) must be accompanied by a non-refundable filing fee. This fee is mandatory and is non-refundable. The USPTO filing fee is $250 or $350 per class of goods or services.
What is the cheapest way to trademark?
DIY filing is the cheapest way to get a trademark, but it's not risk-free.
How to tell if a slogan is trademarked?
To check if a slogan is trademarked, search the USPTO TESS database for federal registrations, use general search engines like Google to find common usage, and consider international databases like WIPO for global use, always checking for similar-sounding or related marks for your specific goods/services, as a simple name match isn't enough.
Do I need a lawyer for trademarking?
Do You Need to Hire an Attorney to Federally Register a Trademark? No. You do not need an attorney to file an application for registration of a trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). That being said, you really ought to hire an attorney if you can afford one.
What is the rule 37 of trademarks?
Further, Rule 37 of Trade Marks Rules, 2017 states that an applicant for registration of a trademark may, whether before or after acceptance of his application but before the registration of the trademark, apply in Form TM-M accompanied by the prescribed fee for the correction of any error in or in connection with his ...
What word did Kim Kardashian try to trademark?
Kim Kardashian is again brewing up a social media storm – this time over her application to trade mark the word “Kimono” for her new range of shapewear.
What are the 4 types of trademarks?
The four main types of marks registered with the USPTO are Trademarks, Service Marks, Certification Marks, and Collective Marks; however, marks are also categorized by strength (fanciful, arbitrary, suggestive, descriptive, generic), which determines protection levels, with fanciful (like Kodak) being strongest and generic (like "Aspirin") having none.
Should I copyright my slogan?
Copyright does not protect names, titles, slogans, or short phrases. In some cases, these things may be protected as trademarks.
What is the most powerful slogan?
Top 15 best company slogans and taglines
- Levi's: “Quality never goes out of style.” ...
- Netflix: “See what's next.” ...
- MasterCard: “There are some things money can't buy. ...
- Red Bull: “Red Bull gives you wings.” ...
- IMAX: “Think big.” ...
- Lay's: “Betcha can't eat just one.” ...
- Airbnb: “Belong anywhere.” ...
- Ferrari: “We are the competition.”
How long does a trademark last?
Trademarks do not have expiration dates.
A federal trademark lasts 10 years from the date of registration, with a potentially unlimited number of 10-year renewal terms. So, every 10 years, the owner of a federal trademark registration must renew it with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
What cannot be trademarked?
The following things cannot be registered as trademarks: Deceptive Words, Names, Phrases, Slogans (they are misleading) Merely Descriptive Words (e.g., Best ice cream, Red car) Merely Decorative Features (they don't identify source)
What does "IP" stand for in trademark law?
Intellectual property (IP) refers to creations of the mind, such as inventions; literary and artistic works; designs; and symbols, names and images used in commerce.
Can I put TM on my logo without registering?
If you want to claim a mark as your own before it has been officially registered, you can use the trademark symbol if you sell goods, ™, or the service mark symbol if you sell services, SM. You can use these even if you have not filed an application to register your mark.