How-tos and best practices for trademark search, patent analysis, and IP management
Trademark vs copyright vs patent: real costs ($65 to $20K+), timelines, and durations compared. Learn which IP protection your business actually needs.
Learn how to trademark a phrase at the USPTO. Covers distinctiveness tests, filing steps, $250-$350 fees, and the mistakes that get applications refused.
How long does a trademark last? US marks last 10 years but need maintenance at year 5. Learn deadlines, fees, grace periods, and what a missed filing costs.
How to trademark a logo at the USPTO: design search codes, specimen rules, composite vs. separate filing, and the mistakes that sink design mark applications.
Trademark cost in 2026: $350/class government fee, $1,000-$2,500 for attorney help, plus renewal fees. Full breakdown of every cost from filing to maintenance.
How to trademark a name at the USPTO: filing steps, $250-$350 per class fees, 12-18 month timeline, and the mistakes that get 20% of applications refused.
Trademark registration at the USPTO explained step by step: clearance searches, filing bases, examination, costs, and timelines. Data-backed 2026 guide.
The TESS trademark search system was retired in 2023. Every current option for searching trademarks in 2026, from the USPTO replacement to global databases to APIs.
Nearly half of all USPTO trademark applications are rejected. Most failures trace back to the same mistake: choosing a name that describes what you do instead of who you are. Here's how to use the Abercrombie spectrum, AI-era cautionary tales, and a 5-step naming process to pick a name that sticks — legally.
A data-backed guide to defending your brand against trademark squatting in China — covering CNIPA's crackdown on bad-faith filings, famous cases from Apple to New Balance, the first-to-file system, China's subclass strategy, and a practical defensive playbook with real cost estimates.
A data-backed guide to multi-jurisdiction trademark filing — with real fee tables, Madrid vs. direct filing analysis, a worked five-country cost example, and the Nice Classification 13th Edition changes you need to plan around.
The 13th Edition of the Nice Classification took effect January 1, 2026, bringing the largest structural changes in a decade. Eyewear moved to Class 10, AIaaS landed in Class 42, and essential oils split across four classes. Here is every major reclassification, who is affected, and exactly how to update your search and filing workflows.