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 $649 legal fee plus USPTO government fees of $350 per class, passed through at cost. The initial one-class use-in-commerce filing is $999 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 federal USPTO trademark search; paid federal-only knockout and comprehensive clearance options; attorney-led trademark application preparation and filing; USPTO office-action responses; annual trademark monitoring. |
| What it costs | Free DIY search: $0. Comprehensive attorney search report: $249. Trademark registration: flat $649 legal fee + USPTO government fees of $350 per class, billed at cost. Office action response: $499 procedural or $999 substantive. Trademark monitoring: $149 per year automated, or $299 per year with attorney review of every flagged conflict. |
| Initial application cost | One class at the base fee: $649 legal fee + $350 USPTO fee = $999. Comprehensive clearance is included in the registration package; standalone searches do not create a conversion credit. Intent-to-use matters may require a later $100 MARQ Statement of Use service fee plus $150 government fee per class. Surcharges and excluded later work may cost extra. |
| 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 trademark services with clearly separated federal-only and comprehensive search options, transparent flat legal fees, USPTO fees billed at cost, and a client portal for recorded status, documents, and team messages. |
| Amazon Brand Registry | Amazon requires an eligible registered mark and may accept certain pending applications under its current rules. Verify eligibility directly with Amazon. MARQ is not affiliated with Amazon and does not sell enrollment as a separate product. |
| Timeline | Application preparation depends on complete client information and attorney review. USPTO processing times vary; office actions, opposition, and intent-to-use requirements can extend the timeline. |
The questions we get most
How much does it cost to trademark a business name?
MARQ charges $649 for application preparation and filing, plus USPTO fees billed at cost. At the base $350 government fee, an initial one-class application costs $999. Standalone searches are priced separately: the federal knockout is $79 and the comprehensive clearance search is $249. Later intent-to-use filings, surcharges, office actions, extensions, and maintenance may add costs. The registration package includes comprehensive clearance. Payment covers the agreed services, not a guaranteed registration.
How long does trademark registration take?
There is no guaranteed completion date. Application preparation depends on complete intake information and attorney review; USPTO processing times change. After examination and approval for publication, a mark is published for a 30-day opposition period. Office actions, opposition, suspension, and intent-to-use requirements can extend the timeline. Check the current USPTO dashboard for processing data.
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 $649 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?
MARQ’s $79 federal knockout searches only federal USPTO records for exact and confusingly similar marks and provides an attorney-reviewed availability read. The $249 comprehensive clearance search adds available state business-registry, domain, social, and other common-law evidence with a written likelihood-of-confusion opinion. The free DIY tool is preliminary, not an attorney clearance opinion. Reports disclose source limitations; no search guarantees registration or finds every use.
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 starts at $999.
How much are USPTO trademark filing fees?
The standard USPTO base application fee is $350 per class of goods or services, separate from legal fees. Additional government surcharges can apply depending on application completeness and identification wording. MARQ bills government fees at cost. The initial one-class MARQ filing at the base fee is $999, before separate searches, later filings, or other extras.
Can I trademark a name that is already in use?
Sometimes. A similar mark is not an automatic denial: you can still file, but the examining attorney may issue a likelihood-of-confusion office action. Similarity in sound, appearance, meaning, and commercial impression matters, along with related goods or services. Different class numbers do not by themselves eliminate a conflict. Unregistered use can also create rights. A clearance search informs a matter-specific risk assessment; it does not guarantee approval.
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?
An application must identify the goods or services covered, organized into the appropriate international classes. More than one class may be needed when your offerings span categories. Government fees apply per class, but trademark conflicts can involve related goods or services in different classes. Class numbers are not a complete boundary of trademark rights.
Frequently asked
Is there any cost after the $649 + USPTO fee?
The initial one-class application is $999 at the base fee: $649 legal fee plus $350 USPTO fee. Separately purchased searches, additional classes, government surcharges, office actions, extensions, and later maintenance can cost extra. An intent-to-use application can require a later Statement of Use: $100 MARQ fee plus $150 USPTO fee per class, bringing a one-class matter to $1,249 before other extras. Optional monitoring is not required. The selected service agreement explains what is included.
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 "$649 + USPTO fees" actually mean?
Our flat legal fee is $649. 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?
A similar registered mark does not automatically mean your application will be denied. You can still file, but the examining attorney may issue a likelihood-of-confusion office action. The marks, goods and services, and other facts determine the risk. An attorney-reviewed search helps assess that risk before filing; it cannot guarantee approval.
How long does registration take?
Preparation depends on receiving complete client information and attorney review. USPTO examination and registration timing varies; office actions, opposition, and intent-to-use requirements can add time. Check the current USPTO dashboard and your matter status rather than relying on a guaranteed completion date.
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 (starting at $999) need a legal argument. We handle both.
Still have a question?
Ask a real attorney — or just start with the free search.
Run a free searchAsk a question