Pillar 01 · IP Navigator Shield™
Trademarks
Protect your name, logo, and slogan.
Who it's for
Founders, creators, product companies, and anyone selling under a brand name.
Typical cost
$350 base filing fee per class (TEAS Plus) at the USPTO. Optional legal review adds cost.
Timeline
12–18 months from filing to registration if there are no office actions or oppositions.
What it is
A trademark protects the words, logos, or slogans that identify your goods or services in commerce. It gives you the exclusive nationwide right to use that mark for what you sell.
What a trademark actually protects
A trademark covers a specific mark used with specific goods or services in specific classes. It does NOT give you rights to a word in every context — only for what you sell.
- Word marks: the words themselves (e.g. NIKE)
- Design marks: logos, symbols, stylized text
- Slogans: taglines used as brand identifiers
- Trade dress: distinctive packaging or product shape
The filing process, plain English
Use the V.A.U.L.T. Method™ wizard in this app to walk step-by-step. The five checkpoints are:
- Verify — search USPTO for existing conflicts
- Assess — pick your goods/services class(es)
- Uniquely-name — confirm the mark is distinctive enough to register
- Lock — enter owner info and filing basis (in-use vs. intent-to-use)
- Trademark — pay the USPTO fee and submit through TEAS or hand-file
Common mistakes that get filings rejected
USPTO examiners refuse marks for predictable reasons. Avoid these:
- Descriptive marks (e.g. "Cold Beer" for beer) — too generic to register
- Wrong class — filing for the wrong class of goods invalidates protection
- Bad specimen — the proof of use must show the mark on/with the actual product
- Confusingly similar — even different spellings can conflict (phonetic twins)
Official resources
Free government and public sources. No login required unless noted.