What is a TEAS Application?

It is crucial to register your name and logo as a trademark when you start a nonprofit. Having a trademark gives you ownership of your name and logo, allows you to make money when licensing other products, markets your nonprofit, and more. However, to get a trademark, you have to apply for one. The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) gives you four application options, each with different fees. These applications are called the Trademark Electronic Application System, but they are typically referred to by the acronym TEAS. The applications are the TEAS Plus, the TEAS Reduced Fee, the TEAS Regular Application, and the Paper Application. Let’s talk about them. 

The TEAS Plus Application

The filing fee is $225 per class of goods and or services in the application. If you want to own your name in multiple international classes (categories), you must pay $225 per class (category). 

For example, you may want to own the name of your nonprofit in the educational services category and the apparel category. When you combine these categories, your filing fee would be $450 ($225 for the educational category plus another $225 for the apparel category).

This option is less expensive than the TEAS Regular. It is cheaper because you are limited to describing the goods and services you offer based on the predefined descriptions within the USPTO’s Acceptable Identification of Goods and Services Manual.

To give an example of this, your nonprofit may sell limited edition Henley shirts in your online store. The ID manual may not have a predefined description for “henley shirts,” so you may have to list that you sell “long-sleeve shirts” in general.

In addition, you must meet several other requirements to qualify for the discounted TEAS Plus application fee:

1. Your application must be complete when you file it since most of the fields in the TEAS Plus application are considered mandatory.
2. Using the USPTO’s Acceptable Identification of Goods and Services Manual, you must identify the goods and services associated with your mark.
3. Pay for all international classes associated with your mark when you apply.
4. Apply and communicate any future responses electronically using TEAS.
5. You must consent to email communication and submit a working email address.

The TEAS Reduced Fee Application

The second type of federal trademark is the TEAS Reduced Fee (RF application). The TEAS RF is similar to the TEAS Plus application but has fewer requirements:

1. Apply and communicate any future responses electronically using TEAS.
2. You must consent to email communication and submit a working email address.

In exchange for meeting these two requirements, the filing fee for the TEAS RF application is only $275. It is a little more than the TEAS Plus application but not as much as the TEAS regular or the paper application.

The TEAS Regular Application

The third type of application is the TEAS Regular application. The filing fee for the TEAS Regular application is $325. This application is more expensive because it allows you to describe the goods and services you offer. The application does not limit you to the predefined descriptions included within the USPTO’s Acceptable Identification of Goods and Services Manual (ID Manual). There are a few more requirements as well:

1. Include name and address.
2. Submit a clear drawing of the mark.
3. List the goods and services associated with the mark.
4. Submit a filing fee for at least one class of goods and services.

The Paper Application

The last way to apply for a federal trademark is by using the paper application. The paper application has the most expensive application fee, which is $375.

Get Your Trademark

To apply for a trademark, you’ll need to visit the USPTO, complete the specimen (sample) of your mark, pay the filing fee, and respond to inquiries from the USPTO. Getting a trademark may seem complex, but it’s a vital part of your nonprofit.

Starting and growing a nonprofit is not a simple task. You need the right team with the right expertise to help you on this journey. Our team has helped thousands of people start and grow nonprofits that impact the world. If you want the best for your nonprofit, look no further than Chisholm Law Firm. Our clients have a 100% success rate*.

You can rest assured that your nonprofit is in the best hands and that we’ll get everything done right the first time. Call us today to schedule your free consultation.

It shouldn’t be this hard to be a superhero. 

*Past results do not determine future outcomes.