The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) finalized plans to increase trademark filing fees effective Jan. 18, 2025.
The fee increase coincides with the USPTO's plan to overhaul the trademark filing system. The USPTO will discontinue the current TEAS Standard and Plus filing options and fees. They will be replaced with a single base application filing option. The filing fee for a basic trademark application will be $350, which is $100 more than the current fee for a basic TEAS Plus application.
The USPTO will also implement new application surcharges, which the USPTO hopes will promote efficient filing behaviors, including the following fees:
- $100 for an incomplete application
- $200 per class for using a custom description of goods or services rather than choosing a pre-approved identification from the USPTO's Trademark ID Manual
- $200 per class for excessively long identifications (each additional group of 1,000 characters in excess of the first 1,000 characters, including spaces and punctuation)
The new fee structure also includes increased fees for filing statements of use and post-registration maintenance filings. Filing fees for letters of protest and petitions to the Director will also increase. The table below provides a summary of the proposed fee increases for common trademark filings. The full Notice of Final Rulemaking can be found here.
The new USPTO filing system with its various fees and surcharges will be somewhat complicated and its impact on your business operations can be confusing. Parsons' trademark team is well-versed in the changes and ready to help counsel you on best practices.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
