After you register a trademark, you will need to be aware of renewal deadlines for your trademark.  Between the fifth and sixth year after the USPTO registers your trademark, you need to file what USPTO refers to as a Section 8 Declaration of Continued Use. This is a sworn statement confirms that you are actually using the trademark you registered. It’s USPTO’s way of weeding out inactive trademarks. After this initial Section 8 Declaration of Use, you are required to submit a full renewal of your trademark at the ten year anniversary of registration and every ten years thereafter.

Gerben Law Firm can guide you through the trademark renewal process quickly and easily to help you continue to protect the name you registered as a trademark.  To file your initial Section 8 Statement of Continued Use (between the fifth and sixth year of ownership), USPTO charges a fee of $100.  To file your ten year renewal, USPTO charges a fee of $400 plus $100 to file an additional Section 8 Statement of Continued Use (which is required with the renewal).  Additionally, you need to be sure you provide the required documentation to prove that you really are using the trademark in commerce.

If you miss the USPTO deadlines for filing for renewal, your trademark is no longer federally protected, which reduces your ability to defend your name from competitors. We know our clients who file for trademark registrations value that protection, and we want to do everything we can to help extend that legal protection as long as possible. So if you’re ready to get started on the trademark renewal process, contact attorney Josh Gerben at (202) 294-2287.