You have a new business, product, or service name or logo that you would like to secure exclusive rights to; now what?  What questions should you be asking, who should you trust, what is an attorney going to charge to help you?  These and many more are the questions we hear almost daily from our new clients.  First of all, take a deep breath and relax; this is what we do.

The Concept Law Group offers all potential clients a free 30-minute consultation so that we can fully understand your business, how and where you are using your trade or service mark and can explain your options for protecting the same.  During the initial consultation, we will explain in great detail the steps necessary to protect your trade or service mark and the expected costs associated therewith.

For instance, in many circumstances, we will recommend you start with a trademark search to see what exists that might be an obstruction to obtaining a trademark or service mark registration.  Our firm has a flat-fee $650 trademark search model that covers the searcher’s time and pays for an attorney’s time reviewing the results and consulting with you to make the proper decision on whether to move forward with a trademark application.

If we recommend moving forward with a trademark application, we will tell you exactly what it will cost to file your mark. The cost varies based on the number of factors, such as whether you are currently using the mark or intend to use it in the future, the number of “classes” the mark will be filed in, and the manner in which we file it. We will request an appropriate retainer based on these factors.

Once the retainer is received, we file trademark applications rather quickly, i.e., within a day or two. After the application is filed, an Examiner in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) conducts a search to determine whether he or she finds the mark registrable. Of course, we expect and hope the examining attorney approves your application. If he/she does, the mark is published in the PTO’s Official Gazette.

If the examining attorney does not initially approve the application, we may be required to file a simple amendment responding to his/her objections. A simple amendment generally costs between about $50 – $400.

If the examining attorney raises more complex issues, e.g., cites a prior-filed registration against us, the amendment may cost as much as $1,000 or more, depending upon the complexity of the issues raised by him/her. These estimates are based on the amount of attorney time we believe will be necessary. Before we dedicate any time to responding to a rejection, we will discuss the matter with you and will only proceed upon receiving your specific instructions to do so.