Applying to register a trademark can be confusing. Right off the bat, the big question is: which application do I use?

If you navigate to the USPTO website, you will notice there are two options for filing: TEAS Plus and TEAS Standard. (There are other options for other, less common, types of trademarks. Though these are the two most commonly used trademark applications.) It is important to know the difference between the TEAS Plus and TEAS Standard applications before you begin the process.

In case you wanted to know, ‘TEAS’ stands for the Trademark Electronic Application System.

Filing Fees.

First off, the TEAS Plus and TEAS Standard applications have different associated filing fees:

The filing fee for TEAS Plus is $250 per class of goods/services.

The filing fee for TEAS Standard is $350 per class of goods/services.

Identifying goods and services. 

The second difference has to do with how you identify the trademark’s associated goods and services on the application. With the TEAS Plus application, you must select the goods/services descriptions from the USPTO’s Trademark Identification Manual. This requirement does not apply to the TEAS Standard application.

 

Additional Statements.

With the TEAS Plus application, you must indicate on the application if any of the additional statements apply to your trademark:

• The same mark has already been registered with the USPTO by you, but the owner name in the prior registration is not the same as in the new application.
• The mark includes color.
• The mark includes a design or stylized font.
• The mark includes non-English words.
• The mark includes non-Latin characters.
• The mark includes the name or portrait of a living person.
• The mark is currently in use and the applicant needs to limit use to a specific geographic area and identify the other concurrent users.

You need to indicate if any of those additional statements apply to your trademark with the TEAS Standard application, as well. However, you may do so after the application has been submitted.

Tune in to this week’s episode of All Up In Yo’ Business to hear more about the differences between the requirements. And be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more All Up In Yo’ Business! 

Want more information on trademarks? Check out: What is a Strong Trademark?