Trademark questions, answered directly
Plain answers from a licensed U.S. trademark attorney — cost, timeline, classes, office actions, and Amazon Brand Registry.
What is MARQ Trademarks?
MARQ Trademarks is an attorney-led U.S. trademark practice supervised by Mary Liberty, an Illinois-licensed attorney. A licensed attorney reviews legal work and prepares client filings through MARQ’s controlled matter workflow. Trademark registration is a flat $499 legal fee plus USPTO government fees of $350 per class, passed through at cost. The initial one-class use-in-commerce filing is $849 total.
| What MARQ is | MARQ Trademarks is an attorney-led U.S. trademark practice supervised by Mary Liberty, an Illinois-licensed attorney. It is a law practice, not a document-filing service. |
|---|---|
| What it does | Free DIY USPTO trademark search; comprehensive attorney search and clearance opinion; federal trademark registration; USPTO office-action responses; annual trademark monitoring. |
| What it costs | Free DIY search: $0. Comprehensive attorney search report: $49. Trademark registration: flat $499 legal fee + USPTO government fees of $350 per class, billed at cost. Office action response: $499 procedural or $999 substantive. Trademark monitoring: $99 per year. |
| Total to register | One class: $499 legal fee + $350 USPTO fee = $849 total for an initial use-in-commerce filing. Intent-to-use matters may require a later $150-per-class Statement of Use government fee. Each additional class adds the current per-class USPTO fee. |
| Who it serves | U.S. founders, small businesses, e-commerce and Amazon sellers, and anyone registering a business name, product name, or logo with the USPTO. |
| How it is different | Attorney-led (not a document-filing service), a comprehensive clearance search rather than only an exact-match check, transparent flat legal fees with USPTO fees at cost, and a client portal for matter status, documents, and attorney-team messages. |
| Amazon Brand Registry | A federal trademark is what unlocks Amazon Brand Registry. MARQ does not sell Brand Registry enrollment as a separate product — it is a benefit of registering your mark correctly, in the class covering the goods you actually sell. |
| Timeline | Filing happens within days. USPTO examination typically takes about 8 to 14 months to registration for a straightforward application. |
The questions we get most
How much does it cost to trademark a business name?
It costs $849 to register a business name in one class through MARQ: a flat $499 attorney fee plus the USPTO government filing fee of $350 per class, which we bill at cost. Each additional class of goods or services adds another $350 in USPTO fees. There are no hidden charges, no subscriptions, and no upsells. That $849 is for a mark you are already selling under (a use-in-commerce, or 1(a), filing); if you file on intent to use (1(b)) because you have not launched yet, the USPTO adds a $150-per-class Statement of Use fee when you begin selling, for $999 total in one class. A free DIY search costs nothing, and a comprehensive attorney search report with a written clearance opinion is $49.
How long does trademark registration take?
A straightforward U.S. trademark application typically registers in about 8 to 14 months. Filing itself takes days: we prepare and submit the application, then the USPTO assigns an examining attorney (usually within several months), publishes the mark for a 30-day opposition period if it passes examination, and issues the registration. Office actions or oppositions extend the timeline.
Do I need a lawyer to file a trademark?
You are not required to use a lawyer if you are domiciled in the United States, but foreign-domiciled applicants must use a licensed U.S. attorney under USPTO rules. Avoidable issues can arise from an inadequate search, the wrong class, a defective identification of goods, or an unacceptable specimen. At MARQ, legal work follows an attorney-led process for a flat $499 plus USPTO fees.
How do I get Amazon Brand Registry?
Amazon requires an eligible registered trademark and may accept certain pending applications under its current program rules. The mark and claimed goods must meet Amazon’s current eligibility requirements. Some tools require a fully registered mark, so verify current access and enrollment rules directly with Amazon before relying on pending status.
What is a comprehensive trademark search, and how is it different from a knockout search?
A knockout search only looks for identical or near-identical marks and takes seconds. A comprehensive search looks for phonetic equivalents, misspellings, translations, design elements, and related goods and services that could support a likelihood-of-confusion refusal, and it produces a written attorney opinion. MARQ’s $49 report is a comprehensive attorney search, not a knockout search.
What happens if the USPTO issues an office action?
An office action identifies a legal or procedural issue and states the response deadline. Many responses are due within three months, and some matters permit a paid extension; the exact deadline shown in the USPTO notice controls. Missing it can abandon the application. MARQ’s procedural response service is $499, while an agreed substantive legal response is $999.
How much are USPTO trademark filing fees?
The USPTO charges $350 per class of goods or services for a standard base application. That is a government fee, not a legal fee. MARQ passes it through at cost with no markup, so registering one class costs $499 (MARQ) + $350 (USPTO) = $849.
Can I trademark a name that is already in use?
It depends on whether consumers would likely be confused. Identical or similar marks can coexist if the goods and services and channels of trade are genuinely different — for example, the same word used for software and for hand tools. But if a prior mark is close and the goods are related, the USPTO will refuse your application. That judgment is exactly what a comprehensive search and a likelihood-of-confusion opinion are for; run one before you spend money on filing or on a brand.
What is the difference between TM and the ® symbol?
You may use TM (or SM for services) on any mark you claim, with or without a registration; it signals a claim of rights. The ® symbol may only be used after the USPTO actually registers the mark, and using it before registration is improper and can prejudice your application.
Do I need to register in more than one class?
Only if you sell in more than one class. Classes are the 45 international categories of goods and services; you register in the class or classes covering what you actually sell. Each class adds $350 in USPTO fees. Filing in the wrong class is one of the most expensive trademark mistakes, because the registration you get back does not protect the products you sell.
Frequently asked
Is there any cost after the $499 + USPTO fee?
For a mark you are already selling under — a use-in-commerce (1(a)) filing — no: $849 all-in for one class ($499 legal + $350 USPTO). If you file on intent to use (1(b)) because you have not launched yet, the USPTO charges an added $150 per class for the Statement of Use once you begin selling, so budget $999 total in one class. Extra classes ($350 each) and any office action are the only other possible fees, and we flag them before you pay.
How long does trademark registration take?
Straightforward applications typically register in roughly 8 to 14 months. The USPTO examines your filing, publishes it for opposition, and — if there are no issues — registers it. Filing correctly the first time avoids the delays an office action causes.
What is the difference between the TM and R symbols?
You can use TM (or SM for services) on any mark you claim, even without a registration. The R-in-a-circle symbol may only be used once your mark is federally registered with the USPTO.
Do I have to register in every country?
No — a U.S. registration protects you in the United States. If you sell abroad, you can extend protection to other countries, often through the Madrid Protocol based on your U.S. filing.
Is my payment and information secure?
Yes. Stripe processes payment-card information; MARQ does not store your full card number. Matter information is handled through access-controlled systems for service delivery, operations, and legal recordkeeping as described in the Privacy Notice.
Do I really work with a real attorney?
Mary Liberty, an Illinois-licensed attorney, supervises MARQ’s legal work and attorney-review process. Your application is handled through that attorney-led workflow rather than filed as an unreviewed form submission.
What does "$499 + USPTO fees" actually mean?
Our flat legal fee is $499. The USPTO charges a separate government filing fee (currently $350 per class of goods/services). We bill that at cost — we never mark it up.
What if my trademark is already taken?
If our search turns up a conflict that makes filing unwise, we'll tell you before you pay to file — and help you explore alternatives. No filing a doomed application just to collect a fee.
How long does registration take?
Filing is fast — usually within days. The USPTO review process itself typically takes several months to a year, which is outside anyone's control. We monitor your application the whole way.
What is an office action?
It's an official letter from the USPTO raising an issue with your application. Procedural ones ($499 to respond) are usually simple; substantive refusals ($999) need a legal argument. We handle both.
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