The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (the “USPTO”) recently announced significant changes to its trademark fees, set to take effect on January 18, 2025. These fees will help cover the cost of the USPTO’s ongoing efforts to manage and maintain trademark records.
Trademark applicants should consider filing any new applications or maintenance documents ahead of January 18, if possible, to take advantage of current fee structures.
Here is a breakdown of the key changes you should know about.
Trademark Application Fees
The most noticeable change comes to the trademark application process. The USPTO plans to do away with the TEAS Standard and TEAS Plus application options and replace them with a uniform “base application,” the fee for which will be $350 per class. Additionally, the USPTO will charge a $100 per class fee for insufficient information in trademark applications. We at Heilbut LLP are familiar with all information requirements and can help applicants avoid this pitfall.
The USPTO is also setting a new $200 fee per class for applicants who choose to enter their own identifications (descriptions of goods or services) in the free-form text box rather than using standard wording from the Trademark ID Manual. Applicants will be allowed 1,000 characters in the free-form text box but will also be charged $200 for each additional group of 1,000 characters.
Finally, intent-to-use applications will also carry some increased fees. Submitting proof of use will cost $50 more, per class of goods/services.
Maintenance Fees
Post-registration maintenance will also become more expensive. Section 8 Declaration of Use fees will increase by $100 per class while Section 9 registration renewal fees will increase by $25 per class.
Enforcement Fees
The USPTO has not proposed many changes in the trademark enforcement space, but filing a Letter of Protest will go from $50 to $125 in 2025.
Business Impact
These fee increases are part of the USPTO’s efforts to improve and streamline trademark registration procedures. While these efforts present additional costs, they also offer businesses the opportunity to reassess and be proactive with trademark prosecution strategies.
For more information, please visit the USPTO website and corresponding table of trademark fees.
