USPTO Public Data · Updated Weekly

Trademark Your Brand
the Right Way

Clear, expert guides to registering and protecting a U.S. trademark — filing steps, real costs, classes, and how to avoid the mistakes that get applications refused.

Trusted, plain-English answers backed by USPTO data — 98K+ records indexed. Free, no login.

Start: How to Register a Trademark → What Does It Cost?
Trademark a Logo How Long It Takes Trademark vs. Copyright Office Action Response Search Before Launch
98K
Indexed Records
88K
Live & Active
72K
Brand Owners
45
Nice Classes

What Is a U.S. Trademark?

A trademark is any word, logo, slogan, or design that identifies the source of goods or services. Federal registration with the USPTO gives you nationwide priority and the right to sue infringers in federal court.

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Search Before You Launch

A clearance search through the USPTO TESS database is the single most important step before naming a product or brand. Conflict with an existing registered mark can cost six figures in rebranding.

How to search →
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File the Right Application

Use-in-commerce (1a) or Intent-to-Use (1b) — picking the wrong basis is the most common reason applications fail. As of 2026 the USPTO charges a $350 base fee per class, plus surcharges for custom identifications.

Filing guide →
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Protect & Maintain

Registration lasts 10 years but requires renewal declarations at year 5–6 (Section 8) and every 10 years (Section 9). Failure to file = cancellation. Abandoned marks are lost permanently.

Maintenance guide →
680,000+
New applications filed per year (USPTO)
Source: USPTO Trademark Dashboard 2024
~12 months
Average time to registration
For straightforward applications
87%
Of Fortune 500 companies have registered trademarks
Brand valuation research
$350
USPTO base fee per class
As of 2026 fee schedule (TEAS Plus/Standard retired 2025)

Trademark Guides

Plain-English guides written for founders, brand managers, and attorneys.

All 50 guides →
Filing Guide How to Trademark a Name in 2026 Step-by-step USPTO process, from clearance search to registration certificate. Read guide → Costs How Much Does a Trademark Cost? USPTO fees, attorney costs, and the total real-world cost to register a mark. Read guide → Education Trademark vs. Copyright: Key Differences Which protection do you actually need? A plain-English breakdown for founders. Read guide → Legal Trademark Infringement: What It Means What counts as infringement, how enforcement works, and what to do if you get a letter. Read guide → Myths Poor Man's Trademark: Does It Work? Mailing yourself a copy does not protect your mark. Here is what actually does. Read guide → Strategy Why You Must Search Before Launch Rebranding after a cease-and-desist is 10× more expensive than a $350 search. Read guide →

More Trademark Guides

Practical answers to the questions founders ask most before and after filing.

Browse all guides →
Filing Guide How to Trademark a Logo Design marks vs. word marks, specimen requirements, and how to protect your visual brand. Read guide → Timeline How Long Does a Trademark Take? The realistic USPTO timeline from filing to registration — and what causes delays. Read guide → Business LLC vs. Trademark: What You Need Forming an LLC does not protect your brand name. Here is why you likely need both. Read guide → International EU Trademark Registration How to protect your mark across all 27 EU member states with a single EUIPO filing. Read guide → International The Madrid Protocol Explained File once, protect in 130+ countries. When the Madrid system makes sense — and when it does not. Read guide → Legal Responding to an Office Action Got a refusal from the USPTO? A plain-English guide to the most common office actions and how to answer them. Read guide →

Trademark Data Reports

Original analysis of 97,978 U.S. trademark records — data you won't find anywhere else.

All insights →
Data Report 97,978 records analyzed U.S. Trademark Statistics 2026 Registration vs. abandonment rates, the most active Nice classes, and which states file the most marks. View report → Data Report 140 marks — the largest portfolio Top Trademark Owners 2026 The biggest U.S. portfolios — ESPN, Del Monte, Nike, CVS — and why even giants own surprisingly few marks. View report → Data Report #1 Delaware leads the country Trademark Filings by State 2026 Every state ranked. Why Delaware beats California despite 1/40th the population. View report →

Brand Origin Stories

The trademark decisions — and accidents — behind the world's most recognized brands.

All stories →
Brand Story Nike Paid $35 for Its Logo A graphic design student created the Swoosh in 1971. Nike later gave her 500 shares. Read story → Brand Story Apple's Logo Bite Mystery The bite exists for scale — without it, the apple looks like a cherry. Designer Rob Janoff confirms it. Read story → Brand Story Coca-Cola's Bottle Is a Trademark The contour bottle shape has been federally registered since 1960 — no label needed. Read story → Brand Story Google's Name Was a Typo The founders meant 'googol' (10¹⁰⁰). A misspelling became the most visited domain on Earth. Read story →

How TMarkMetric Works

We ingest the full USPTO trademark dataset and make it searchable in seconds — without login, without subscription.

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USPTO Source Data

We index directly from the USPTO TSDR dataset — currently 98,000+ searchable trademark records, updated regularly. Every mark, every status change, every filing date.

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Instant Search

Our search indexes mark text, owner names, serial numbers, and class codes. Results are ranked by relevance and recency — no account needed.

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Brand Intelligence

Explore full portfolios for any brand owner. See how many marks they hold, what classes they protect, and their filing history over time.

Protect your brand with confidence

Everything you need to know before you file — free, plain-English, and backed by USPTO data.

Browse All Guides → Step-by-Step Filing