Trademark registration: USPTO, UKIPO and Amazon Brand Registry

What is a trademark, and what does registration give you?

A trademark is a word, a logo or a combination of the two that sets your product apart from competitors. In the US, using a mark creates some rights, but only in the area where it is used. Federal registration gives you stronger, nationwide protection.

You can use the "TM" symbol without filing an application. You can use the "®" symbol only after the USPTO registers your mark, and only for the goods listed in the registration.

USPTO: foreign applicants must hire a US attorney

Applicants domiciled outside the US must be represented before the USPTO by an attorney licensed in the US. That means a seller based in Türkiye cannot file directly. The application must list your actual domicile address; P.O. boxes and "c/o" addresses are generally not accepted.

This applies from the very first filing: someone based in Türkiye can't start the process on their own and hand it to an attorney later. Post-registration filings and renewals also go through a US attorney.

USPTO account and identity verification (ID.me)

• The USPTO verifies the identity of everyone involved in trademark filings once: the US attorney, the attorney's support staff and the trademark owner. Even when the attorney files from their own verified account, the owner may also be asked to verify.
• If you live outside the US, you'll usually verify through ID.me's video call option: you show your passport on camera, and an interpreter can join if needed. Sellers report being asked whether the mark belongs to them and whether they run the business themselves, so keep your answers consistent with the application.
• You can verify online with ID.me (by selfie or by a video call that uses no biometric data) or by mailing the original of a notarized paper form.
• Account sharing is prohibited: never give your USPTO password to your attorney or an intermediary, and never let anyone file through someone else's account.
• The USPTO makes no exceptions for deadlines missed because an account wasn't verified in time, so verify early if you'll file through your own account.

Filing basis: use or intent to use?

• Use-based application (1(a)): for a mark already used in commerce. You submit a specimen showing the use, along with the dates of first use.
• Intent-to-use application (1(b)): for a mark not yet in use. You must file a Statement of Use before the mark can be registered. If you miss the deadline, the application is abandoned.
• The USPTO does not accept digitally created or altered images, mockups, draft web pages or products not yet on sale as specimens.

USPTO official fees (from January 2025)

Attorney fees are not included in the official fees and are set by each attorney.

What does it cost in total?

Official fees are per class; the table shows the typical items for a single-class application. Attorney fees are set freely, and the amounts below are approximate ranges based on sellers' experience.

• The process roughly runs: filing → examination → office action and response if needed → publication in the Official Gazette with a 30-day opposition period → registration.
• Not every application gets an office action; if you get one, don't miss the response deadline or the application will be abandoned.
• When getting quotes, ask in writing whether office action responses and the Statement of Use are included.

Stages and timelines

• Application and serial number: a serial number confirms that your application has been received. It does not mean the mark is registered. Applications at this stage are called "pending."
• Examination: a USPTO examining attorney reviews the application and issues an "office action" if there are problems. You generally have 3 months to respond, and you can extend this once for a fee.
• Publication and opposition: once approved, the mark is published, and third parties have 30 days to oppose it.
• Registration and maintenance: after registration, you must file maintenance documents in specified years.
• Timing: according to USPTO data from October 2026, the first examination takes about 4.3 months on average, and registration or another final outcome takes about 10.4 months on average. Individual applications may take more or less time.

UK: UKIPO

• From April 1, 2026, online applications start at £205, plus £60 for each additional class.
• If no issues arise, registration is usually complete 3–4 months after filing. Protection lasts 10 years and is renewed every 10 years.
• Applications require an address for service in the UK, Gibraltar or the Channel Islands. Applicants from Türkiye therefore usually work with a UK-based representative.

Amazon Brand Registry

Brand Registry is free. Your brand name must appear permanently on the product or its packaging, and you need a trademark that is registered with, or in some cases pending at, the official trademark office of a country where Amazon has a store.

Whether pending applications qualify depends on the trademark office, and the current list is in Seller Central. Amazon has said different things at different times about enrolling with a pending application filed directly with the USPTO, so check the current requirement in Seller Central before you apply. Amazon's IP Accelerator program lets you enroll earlier with a pending application.

• Content: A+ content, Brand Store, Amazon Vine.
• Advertising and data: Sponsored Brands, Sponsored Display, Brand Analytics, Amazon Attribution.
• Protection: the Report a Violation tool, Transparency (requires an active registration and product codes), Project Zero (by invitation).
• Some tools carry their own fees and additional requirements.

IP Accelerator

IP Accelerator connects sellers with law firms vetted by Amazon. Amazon does not charge for the match; the seller pays the law firm. US trademark applications are subject to a preset maximum service fee. Joining the program is optional.

Beware of trademark filing scams

• In August 2025, the USPTO terminated more than 52,000 applications and registrations tied to a foreign filing firm that misused US attorneys' credentials and e-signatures and submitted fake specimens. Applicants can lose their marks even when they did nothing wrong.
• Confirm that your representative is a licensed US attorney who actually works on your file. Do not share your USPTO account password, and sign your declaration yourself.
• Be wary of official-looking letters and emails asking for extra fees. Official USPTO emails come from the @uspto.gov domain, and your application documents appear in the USPTO's own system.