- Transparent flat fees · Attorneys with 25+ years of combined trademark experience
Registering your trademark gives you rights. Monitoring and enforcement are how you keep them. We watch for conflicting filings and unauthorized uses and help Minnesota businesses act quickly and in proportion when someone copies their brand.
Flat, published fees · Offices in St. Paul & Coon Rapids · 100% recommend on Facebook (100+ reviews)
Short answer: Brand monitoring means regularly watching new USPTO applications, online marketplaces, domain registrations and the web for names or logos that conflict with yours. Enforcement is the response: a demand letter, a marketplace takedown, an opposition to block a registration, or, when needed, litigation. The USPTO does not police marks for owners, so a Minnesota trademark attorney has to do it for you.
| Service | What's included | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Attorney time (opinions, disputes, oppositions, cancellations, assignments, other services) | Hourly attorney rate | $400 / hour |
| Federal trademark application (one class) | $700 legal fee + $350 USPTO filing fee | $1,050 |
Flat fees as published on our fee schedule. USPTO fees are set by the government and can change. Paying a filing fee does not guarantee registration.
Trademark rights can weaken if similar marks are allowed to spread. A competitor's application that slips through the 30-day opposition window can register and become much harder to remove. A copycat on Amazon or Etsy can take sales and confuse customers before you notice. Catching problems early keeps enforcement cheaper, faster and more likely to succeed.
Watch reports are reviewed by an attorney, so you only hear about results that matter, with a recommendation for each one.
Enforcement should be proportionate. A small local business using a similar name in good faith calls for a different approach than a counterfeiter. A Twin Cities trademark lawyer will match the response to the problem:
Federal registrants can sue for infringement in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota. Minnesota law also provides claims under the Minnesota Deceptive Trade Practices Act and protection for marks that are famous in Minnesota. Recording a registration with U.S. Customs and Border Protection can help stop counterfeit goods at the border. We explain which tools fit your budget and goals before recommending any step.
Minnesota brands face copying both locally and online. We have seen restaurant and taproom names reused across the metro, contractors in the suburbs adopting near-identical names, and Minnesota-made consumer products knocked off on national marketplaces. Our monitoring covers both: local business listings and state filings, plus national USPTO and online marketplace activity.
Having the same firm monitor and enforce means a Twin Cities trademark lawyer who already knows your brand and history can act quickly when a problem appears.
Transparent, flat-fee pricing. Federal applications start at $700 plus the $350 USPTO fee per class. Your Twin Cities trademark lawyer quotes every other service up front, before work begins.
Trademark monitoring is ongoing surveillance of new trademark filings, marketplaces, domains and online use to find marks that conflict with yours. It lets you act before a problem becomes expensive.
No. The USPTO examines new applications but does not monitor the market or enforce your rights. It may even approve a similar mark if the examiner does not see a conflict, which is why owners watch and oppose.
Cost depends on how many marks, classes and channels are monitored. Contact us for a quote. Many small businesses start with a USPTO watch for their core mark.
Document the use with screenshots, dates and links, then talk to a Minnesota trademark lawyer before contacting them. The first communication can affect your options later.
It is a formal letter demanding that another party stop using a mark. It explains your rights and usually proposes a deadline or resolution. Many disputes end at this stage, especially when the letter comes from a Minnesota trademark lawyer.
Yes. Registered and pending marks enrolled in Amazon Brand Registry can report infringing listings. A Minnesota trademark lawyer can also file infringement reports on Etsy, eBay, Walmart and social platforms.
An opposition is a proceeding before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board to stop a pending application from registering. It must be filed within 30 days of publication, or within an approved extension.
The Lanham Act has no fixed statute of limitations, but waiting too long can weaken your case through the defense of laches or acquiescence. Acting promptly is important.
Then they may have prior rights in their market area, even if you registered first. A Minnesota trademark attorney will evaluate priority before you take action.
In federal court, registered owners may recover the infringer's profits, damages and costs, and in exceptional cases attorney fees. Counterfeiting can support enhanced damages.
When someone registers a domain confusingly similar to your mark in bad faith, you can file a UDRP complaint to have the domain transferred, often without going to court.
In addition to federal law, Minnesota has a state trademark registration statute, protection against dilution of marks famous in Minnesota, and the Minnesota Deceptive Trade Practices Act.
Unregistered marks can be enforced under federal unfair competition law and Minnesota common law, but registration makes enforcement much stronger and easier.
Most enforcement matters are resolved with letters, platform reports or negotiation. Litigation is a last resort, and we discuss cost and likely outcomes with you before recommending it.
Reports are typically delivered monthly or as conflicts arise. Urgent matters, such as a newly published application with an opposition deadline, are flagged right away.
Yes. Design marks can be watched using USPTO design codes and image-based tools in addition to word searches.
A letter of protest lets a third party submit evidence to the USPTO, such as a prior registration, while an application is still being examined. It is a low-cost way to flag a conflicting filing.
Yes. Registered trademarks can be recorded with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which helps officers identify and detain counterfeit imports.
Counterclaims happen, especially when the other party has older use. A Minnesota trademark attorney assesses your own exposure before enforcement so there are no surprises.
Call (651) 222-3776 or request a free consultation. A Twin Cities trademark lawyer will review your marks and recommend a monitoring plan that fits your budget.
Free consultation by phone, video or in person in St. Paul or Coon Rapids.
Or call (651) 222-3776
Twin Cities Trademarks PLLC · St. Paul & Coon Rapids, MN. This page provides general information, not legal advice for your situation. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship. Fees listed exclude USPTO government fees unless stated and may change; see our pricing page for current figures.
