My practice focuses on helping mostly small businesses to protect their trademarks and to help them avoid trademark infringement. I understand the concerns that these business owners have about cost, because I am also a small business owner. That is why I offer flat fee trademark services to my clients as much as possible. Cost is the primary concern for many of my clients, and understandably so. But let’s dig a little deeper into a few topics related to cost.
Predictability and Flat Fee Trademark Pricing
I think there are a lot of people out there that are just afraid to pick up the phone and call an attorney. And who could blame them? The word “lawyer” is commonly associated with a lot of negative things. But perhaps the scariest is the idea of “billable hours.” Invoices for phone calls, exchanging emails, and in-person consultations are not make believe. They happen all the time.
I don’t like these little costs for interactions. They produce uncertainty about the total amount you’re spending. That is why I provide flat fee trademark services to my clients as much as I possibly can. And new businesses need to be able to know what their costs are in advance. I will provide you with a free initial consultation. If you decide not to proceed, there is no cost to you at all. If you decide to hire me for services, you will be billed up front and know what you are getting for that cost. I don’t like surprise invoices, and I’m sure you don’t either. So I avoid them in favor of flat fee trademark pricing almost exclusively.
Low-Cost Is Usually Low-Value
When looking at different options for protecting your trademarks, don’t just think about the money you’re spending. Think about whether what you’re spending money on will provide any value. There are so many trademark services out there, such as Trademarkia, LegalZoom, and The Trademark Company. Many of these services charge less than my flat fee trademark pricing. And I’m not making that a secret. You know what you won’t get with these services? A free initial consultation with an attorney. Or any consultation with an attorney in some cases.
Instead, you will probably be looking at a series of online forms. These forms are very similar to the ones that you would fill out on the USPTO website. Any guess as to why? It’s because the information you fill out is just going to be dropped into the corresponding USPTO form online. But hey, look at how little they charged you to do it!
Look, if someone is charging you a $100 legal fee for a trademark application, you can draw a few conclusions. One is that you’re certainly not going to be speaking with an attorney. You’re not going to have personalized customer service with someone that understands the law and asks you the right questions. Another conclusion you can safely reach is that an attorney is going nowhere near any of your filings. At a rate that low, no attorney could stay in business personally preparing and filing your trademark application. And if you’re not speaking with an attorney, or having one prepare and file on your behalf… What exactly are you getting? Plenty of room for mistakes to be made.
The “Lowest” Cost Option
The lowest-cost option is of course preparing and filing your trademark application yourself. I would rather have people do that then pay for services that do not add any value to the process. However, there are plenty of risks to filing yourself, as well. People that file for themselves usually see the finish line as successfully getting their trademark registration. However, an experienced trademark will tell you that the real goal is getting a registration that will stand up to challenge.
If you file yourself, you can make several types of mistakes that won’t be obvious to you. But trademark attorneys representing clients that want to cancel your registration will see them from a mile away, and pick your registration apart. So while you might be able to get a registration yourself, hiring an attorney will help make sure that it will actually hold up if and when you really need it.
Affordable Trademark Service on a Flat Fee Pricing Basis
Every business should be very serious about protecting its trademarks. After all, your trademark is your company’s most valuable asset. That is why you should seek the help of a professional trademark attorney. While my flat fee trademark prices are not the lowest, I believe they are fair. They allow me to have personal interactions with my clients. I answer questions, get to know more about them, and even try to help promote them. I believe that having direct communication with them provides value and a level of customer service with which few others can compete.
What I think anyone can appreciate about my flat fee trademark services is that if you think my fees are too high, I’ll still happily give you a free initial consultation. And I don’t try to bill anyone by surprise. I’ll tell you what my charge for a particular service would be. And if think it’s high you can walk away knowing that you won’t be getting a nasty invoice for my time in the mail. I think it’s difficult to argue with that.
Are You Looking for a Trademark Attorney That Provides Value and Flat Fee Pricing?
If you want a registration that is rock-solid, don’t look for the cheapest options for registration. Look for an option where you will be working directly with an experienced trademark attorney, preferably on a flat fee basis. If you would like, please call me at (480) 360-3499, email me at kevin@yourtrademarkattorney.com, or complete the contact form found on this page to schedule your free initial consultation today. I look forward to speaking with you.
