Free research and paid registration are different questions. The sections below explain the United States and Canada separately. Use the rules and fee schedule for the country where you are seeking registration.
United States: free preparation and filing costs
You can research a brand and learn about trademarks without paying a professional. Using a mark in US commerce may also create common law rights. Federal registration is different: the USPTO charges application fees, and filing yourself does not remove those government charges.
What you can do for free
You can read USPTO guidance, search the federal trademark database and look for marketplace use of similar names. Start with the wording, spelling variations and related goods or services. A free exact-match search is a useful first screen, but it is not a complete clearance assessment or a promise that the mark can be registered.
What still costs money
Qualifying Section 1 and Section 44 applications have a USPTO base fee of USD 350 per class. Extra charges may apply, and intent-to-use applications generally require later filings and fees. Separate applications for a name and a logo also have separate filing costs. Professional assistance is an additional cost unless a quote expressly includes it.
Use the trademark filing fees calculator as a budgeting aid and check the official USPTO fee information before filing. A promotion described as “free filing” may cover a provider's service fee rather than the government charge.
Common law rights have limits
Use can create rights without federal registration, but those rights may be geographically limited. Federal registration offers additional benefits. Neither typing TM nor adding a copyright symbol to a name creates a federal trademark registration.
Can you file without an attorney
US-domiciled applicants may generally handle their own applications. Foreign-domiciled applicants generally need a US-licensed attorney for USPTO representation. A low professional fee is useful only if you understand what work and responsibility it includes.
Keep the next step focused
If you need to choose between protecting a name and a design, read our name and logo guide. If you are comparing paid help, review current packages and the scope of trademark search and assessment. Compare the same tasks and exclusions rather than assuming the cheapest headline covers the full process.
Can I copyright a name for free
Copyright does not protect names or short phrases in the United States. Original logo artwork may qualify for copyright, but that is a separate question from trademark registration.
Can I patent a name or logo in the United States
A brand name itself is not an invention that you can patent. Trademark law is the relevant starting point when a name or logo identifies the source of goods or services. A patent may protect a qualifying invention or an eligible design for an article of manufacture, rather than give ownership of a brand name.
Original logo artwork may also qualify for copyright protection if it contains sufficient authorship. That protects the artwork, while trademark law addresses its use as a source identifier. A copyright or patent filing does not replace the decision about whether to apply to register the trademark.
Can you trademark a name or logo for free in Canada?
You can research a mark and prepare a Canadian application yourself, but CIPO registration is not free. Self-filing can avoid a professional service fee; it does not remove government charges. Canadian representation rules are separate from the USPTO rules above.
What can you do without paying a professional??
Read CIPO’s Trademarks guide and use its public search tools to check similar names and marks. Consider spelling variations, French equivalents and relevant marketplace use. A search with no exact match does not guarantee availability or registration. CIPO’s search guidance explains how to search by wording and other fields.
What CIPO application fees still apply?
For an application and fee submitted online through CIPO’s website, the published government fees are:
- 2026: CAD 491.06 for the first class of goods or services, plus CAD 149.04 for each additional class.
- From January 1, 2027: CAD 499.41 for the first class, plus CAD 151.57 for each additional class.
CIPO’s fee schedule determines the applicable amount by when the Registrar receives payment. These figures are government application fees, not professional-service quotes or a guarantee of registration. Other filing methods have different first-class fees. Check the official schedule before paying.
Does one application register both the name and logo?
CIPO requires a separate application for each trademark. If you choose separate applications for a word mark and a logo, each has its own fee. A combined word-and-design application seeks registration of that combined mark; it is not two separate registrations.
For example, two separate one-class online applications cost CAD 982.12 in government application fees at the 2026 rates. Extra classes and any professional help are additional. This is a fee illustration, not a recommendation that every business needs two applications.
Do use, copyright or a patent replace trademark registration?
Using a mark in Canada may create unregistered rights, but it does not enter the mark in CIPO’s register. A business-name registration is also a different process. CIPO’s guide explains the distinction between trade names, unregistered marks and registered trademarks.
Names and short word combinations are generally not protected by Canadian copyright. Original logo artwork may qualify for copyright, but that protects the artwork rather than creating a trademark registration. A patent protects an invention; it is not the registration route for a brand name.
You do not have to hire a trademark agent for every Canadian application, but CIPO recommends considering one. Before choosing self-filing or paid help, separate the government fees from professional fees and confirm who will handle correspondence and deadlines.
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