TEAS and TEAS+

TEAS and TEAS+

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Preparing and filing and application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) can be done electronically or by paper, and for our purposes we will be focusing on the Trademark Electronic  Application System (“TEAS”). TEAS provides applicants an opportunity to submit a trademark application for review by the USPTO, and all information filed through TEAS (or by paper) is made public, including the applicant’s name, phone number, address and email address/website if provided.

There a number of procedural  matters that must be taken into account when preparing and filing a trademark application with the USPTO, which are found in the Trademark Manual of Examining Procedure (“TMEP”), found online at http://tmep.uspto.gov/.

The basic information required for submitting an application with the USPTO includes:

1. Ownership Information
2. Drawing
3. Additional Statements
4. Description of Goods and/or Services
5. Filing Basis
6. Correspondence Information
7. Authorized Signature
8. Application Filing Fee

TEAS+ Considerations

Many (if not most) firms use TEAS+ for filing. In using such form, keep in mind the following considerations:^[1]Some of the material for this section is taken from the USPTO, “Form: TEAS Plus application,” available at … Continue reading  

Purpose of this form: Use this form with the lowest filing fee to file an application for a trademark or service mark on the principal register.

Fee: $225 per class of goods/services. You must pay for all classes with your initial application.

When to use this form

Use the TEAS Plus form if you can:

• Communicate via email with USPTO about your application and file forms through TEAS, the online application system.     
• Provide all required information when you submit your application (also known as a complete application). See the TEAS Plus filing requirements.
• Select entries from the Trademark ID Manual that accurately describe your goods/services.

NOTE: If you don’t meet the requirements above, you will have to pay an additional fee of $125 per class and your application status will change to TEAS Regular.

Do NOT use TEAS Plus if:

• The ID Manual does not contain an accurate listing for your goods/services. Instead, you must create your own ID in your own words and use either TEAS RF or TEAS Regular form.
• You do not have the information needed to complete all the required fields in the TEAS Plus form. Instead, use the TEAS RF or TEAS Regular form.