The Best Trademark Filing Services of 2025
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Business Trademark

A trademark is an important element of your overall brand identity. Whether you’re a new business or an established one, a trademark will make it easier for your customers to identify your brand and its offerings.

Your brand trademark must be unique, and nothing similar should be used by your competitors or any other business entity. And the best way to ensure that no one will infringe on your intellectual property is to register your trademark. Businesses register trademark for different products including: logo trademark, brand trademark and symbol trademark. Businesses are also looking to register a phrase and to register a slogan.

How do you get a trademark?

If you’re thinking of registering a trademark, the first step is to do a thorough search to see if any existing trademarks might get your application rejected. After checking, you must choose the right mark format and filing basis for the intellectual property you want to protect.

Once you’re done with the search, you can dive into the trademark application process. Your submission will then be reviewed by an attorney, which can take a few months. If there are any bumps along the way, you’ll get an office action that you’ll need to address to move forward. As long as everything goes smoothly, your new trademark will be good to go!

What to Look for in an Online Trademark Registration Service

When choosing a trademark registration provider, you want someone efficient, accurate, and trustworthy. Here are some things to consider:

Trademark search: Before you send your application to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), you need to make sure another company isn’t already using your desired trademark. Our top online trademark services do exact and similar name searches to ensure your name is unique enough to be trademarked.

Electronic filing: Online trademark registration is the fastest way to submit your trademark application. You can do it yourself through the USPTO portal, or have an experienced trademark registration service service do it for you. Avoid services that submit via mail as they lengthen processing.

Turnaround time: The USPTO typically takes about 14.5 months to process an application and register a trademark. If you’re using a DIY service, the speed of preparation and submission depends on you. Should you choose to work with an experienced trademark registration service, they might be able to expedite the process for you and help you avoid mistakes in the process.

Guarantee: No service can guarantee your trademark will be accepted—approval or rejection comes from the USPTO. However, some providers may offer a second application for free if the first one gets rejected. Others offer a final clearance check to boost your chances of approval. Choose a provider that offers a backup plan so you don’t pay for a service that doesn’t get you the results you want.

Common Types of Trademarks

Let’s take a look at some of the most common trademarks that people apply for:

Phrase Trademark

When a company trademarks a phrase, they’re basically staking a claim to it but only when it’s used with certain products or services. Take NIKE, for example—no other shoe company can use “Just Do It” in their marketing because NIKE owns that trademark.

It turns out, phrases, slogans, and taglines have their own legal meaning too. According to the Trademark Manual of Examining Procedure (TMEP), a phrase is basically a bunch of words that are structured together in a certain way, kind of like a mini sentence.

The USPTO’s definition is a bit of a mouthful, but the gist is that a “phrase” becomes more than just a few words strung together. Like “Impossible Is Nothing”—when you put those words in that order, they convey a unique message and idea.

Symbol Trademark

You can also get trademark protection for a symbol that sets your business apart from others. As an example, Nike’s “swoosh” symbol is a registered trademark.

But remember, trademark protection only kicks in for symbols that are distinctive enough to make your business stand out. The more unique your symbol, the better the protection, and the easier it is to register.

So, if you come up with an unusual symbol, it’ll be a breeze to register. On the other hand, a symbol that’s just a common punctuation mark is too generic to be registered. If your symbol isn’t super unique, you might need to show it’s gained a “secondary meaning.” In other words, people immediately think of your goods or services when they see it.

Brand Trademark

If your business has a unique name, you can trademark it as long as it’s not too similar to another name that already has a trademark. For instance, a name like “The Ice Cream Shop” might be too vague for a trademark, but something catchy like “Koala Ice Cream” stands a better chance since it combines common words in a unique way.

Also, think about where your business operates. The common-law trademark protection you get just by using the name is limited to your local area. So, if you’re doing business in multiple states, getting a trademark is a smart move to protect your brand.
And if you have several product lines with unique names, consider trademarking those too. Take Ford, for example—they have a trademark for the company and for their vehicle lines like the Mustang, F-150, Ranger, and Explorer.

Logo Trademark

You can trademark a unique logo by registering it with the USPTO. If your business is mainly based in the U.S., you can apply through their website. For businesses outside the U.S., you’ll need a patent attorney to handle the filing.

As soon as you start using a logo to promote and sell your products or services, you automatically get common law ownership and some protection—if you can prove you were the first to use it. However, this common law protection only covers the area where your business operates. So, if you’re looking for nationwide protection, registering your logo with the USPTO is a smart move.

Trademark vs. Registered trademark: What’s the difference?

A registered trademark provides its owner significantly broader rights and protections compared to a trademark. While both refer to ownership rights over intellectual property, the process to obtain them and the scope of rights differ greatly.