You can use traditional law firms and attorneys. You can go with the company I founded, Trademark Factory®; Or you can use an online trademark filing service. And here, I'm going to explain the benefits and dangers of using such services. 

I'm also recording videos about the benefits and dangers of traditional law firms and attorneys and of filing your trademarks yourself. Make sure you watch them as well. So let's go through the pros and cons of online trademark filing service.

Online Services

Online trademark filing services are one of the most common options people choose due to the very low fee they charge for filing a trademark. However, they create a false sense of security by focusing on the filing of your trademark for a very low price, rather than providing the full scope of services necessary to get your trademark registered. 

So how do you know you're dealing with an online trademark filing service? Just because they have a website where you can buy their services doesn't make them an online trademark filing service.

Many law firms that cover the entire trademarking process have web interfaces that allow you to buy their services online. Trademark Factory® covers the entire trademarking process and also has an interface that allows you to buy our services online. 

In other words, a website with a form and an online payment system is not what matters. What matters is the scope of services you can expect to receive in exchange for your money.

When I say Online trademark filing services, I am referring to services that generate a trademark application based on the data you enter into a form on their website and file it with the Trademarks Office on your behalf. 

Their job is done once your application has been filed. From here on out, it's the same thing as if you filed your application yourself. Your trademark application will not have an attorney of record or a registered trademark agent.

This means, if you or your company are not U.S. residents, you can't file a U.S. trademark using such services. Because in the U.S., only U.S. residents can file U.S trademarks without having a U.S. attorney of record. 

But even aside from that, filing is only Step One in a long and complex process: once your application is filed, it will take about a year or more to complete the process. During that time, the Trademarks Office will issue at least one office action against 68% of all applications.

You will be expected to respond to all such Office Actions, Objections, and Refusals or hire an attorney to do so. Paying an attorney to respond to an office action on your behalf often costs at least $1,000, which can elevate the cost of the entire trademarking process to over $5,000, and doing it yourself requires specialized knowledge and time that most small business owners do not have. 

Online trademark filing services are a viable option for business owners looking for a simplified way of getting their trademark process started—as long as they are prepared to assume the risk of their trademark being refused and paying much more than what they initially projected.

The Advantages & Disadvantages

First of all, the filing process is very easy. No need to deal with confusing government online forms. If you know exactly WHAT needs to go into your trademark application, such services can save you a lot of time in the filing stage. Also, you only pay a nominal fee (usually $299 or less) on top of the government fees. However, there are a bunch of disadvantages:

Disadvantage #1

You are getting a “trademark filing facilitation service”—NOT legal advice or legal service. Think about it. If these services are so great, why don't companies that own thousands of trademarks around the world use them? 

They would have saved tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars. But instead, they choose to get their trademarks done right. Isn't that interesting?

Disadvantage #2

You must be a U.S. resident to file U.S. trademarks without an attorney. Online trademark filing service does not appoint an attorney to handle your application, which means that if you're not a U.S. resident and you need to get a U.S. trademark, you can't do it through an online trademark filing service. Simple as that.

Disadvantage #3

Since online trademark filing services are not acting as your attorneys, they can't provide legal advice—even if they know the right answer, they are not allowed to give it to you by law. Especially in the U.S. and Canada, everyone is terrified of being accused of unauthorized practice of law. 

That's why when you file your trademark through an online trademark filing service, no one checks your application for descriptiveness, genericness, or legal compliance. As a result, your trademark application is as good as the data you provide when you fill out their form.

Disadvantage #4

But they can't provide meaningful conclusions you can act on. Unfortunately, most brand owners will not be able to make correct conclusions based on the raw data presented to them this way.

Disadvantage #5

Disadvantage #6

And as I already mentioned, the Trademarks Office will issue at least one office action for 68% of all filed trademark applications. This means that in 68% of the cases, you will need to: Hire an attorney to fix a poorly written application for $300–$500/hr. (if it’s even at all possible at that stage); Respond to the office action yourself (again, assuming it is still possible at that stage and assuming you can do it); or let your trademark application die.

And guess what?

Attorneys can easily bill you for over 10 or even 20 hours of their time to respond to office actions about descriptiveness and the likelihood of confusion. They don't do it because they're mean and greedy. 

They do it because these are the most complex types of office actions to respond to. The chances you're going to be able to successfully overcome these objections yourself, without an experienced trademark attorney, are slim to none.

Disadvantage #7

Often you need to pay extra for each class of goods and services in your application. Often you need to pay extra for a pre-filing trademark search. Often you need to pay extra to get your trademark filed without an artificial wait in a queue. And so on and so on. But all of that is minor. What really matters is, as I already mentioned, responding to office actions is not covered. When you get a bill for $5,000 to take care of an office action, it will matter very little if you filed your trademark for $49 or for $299, right?

Disadvantage #8

Sum it Up Andrei!

So as a summary: online trademark filing services make it very easy for you to get your application filed, but then, you are on your own. Nobody's helping you beyond filing your trademark. Their fees only cover their services relating to filing your mark and, at best, some technical follow-up to notify you of updates. 

You don't get anyone helping you ensure your trademark covers you as your business grows. You don't get anyone helping you evaluate the chances of your trademark before it gets filed. You need to figure out what constitutes acceptable specimens of use or other evidence to get your brand trademarked.

You don't have an attorney of record or a registered trademark agent handling your application. When your application is rejected, you're on your own. Do not expect any refunds. 

The big advantage of online trademark filing services is that they make getting the trademarking process started simple. The big disadvantage of online trademark filing services is that they make the trademarking process deceptively simple.

Is Trademark Factory® More Efficient?

By way of comparison, Trademark Factory® makes the ENTIRE trademarking process simple for you. Every single step of the trademarking process is handled by experienced attorneys and trademark agents. 

ONE flat fee covers the entire trademarking process, from filing to registration, and provides insurance for ALL office actions. Trademark Factory® gives you the certainty of knowing your trademarking budget upfront, no matter how many objections are raised against your application. 

No hidden costs and no billable hours. You pay once and never see another invoice. Everything is covered by a 100% money-back guarantee.

Your trademark is approved—or you get a FULL refund. And yes, we have a 99.3% rate of success. This is the best option for business owners who are serious about their brands and who want to know exactly how much the entire process will cost before they get started. 

This is also the best option for business owners looking for insurance in the form of a full refund in case the trademark application is refused. Having said that, our flat fee may seem too high for those whose business is more of a hobby than a serious endeavor.

A Key Advantage

Also, we've discovered that large corporations may prefer their trademarks to be handled by an in-house legal team or a full-scope law firm—because the advantages we offer as a firm that focuses on trademarking and nothing else may be less important if you are already spending high 5 or even 6 figures on lawyers. 

But if you are a startup, an entrepreneur, or a small business and you want to get your trademarks done right, we could be a good fit for you. Simply follow the link in the description of this video—and see for yourself.