FOR BUSINESSES
What's happening with your trademark?
Start with the situation you are in. If something has a deadline, start there. Each path gives you the plain answer first, then what to do, then when a lawyer is worth it.
Needs an answer now
These usually come with a deadline or a demand. Read the page before you reply to anyone.
The USPTO refused my application
An Office Action has a response deadline, usually three months from the date printed on it.
I received a cease-and-desist letter
Somebody’s lawyer says you have to stop. What the letter means and what to check before you answer.
Someone is using my name
A competitor, a copycat or a marketplace listing. What to document first, and what your options are.
Someone registered my business name
What an earlier user can still do: oppose, cancel, or keep using the name where it already trades.
Planning ahead
No deadline yet. Good decisions here prevent most of the problems above.
Starting a brand
You have a name in mind. Find out whether it is taken, what a close result means, and what a federal search misses.
Filing a trademark
The steps, the fees per class, the choices you make on the form, and how long it takes.
Keeping a registration alive
Section 8 and Section 9 filings, renewals, and what happens if you miss one.
Managing a portfolio
Several marks, several classes, several countries.
Who checked this
Reviewed and approved by Brandon Leavitt on 2026-10-02.