What information do I need to file a trademark application?

Before filing, applicants are generally asked to provide:

• The trademark name, logo, or slogan
• The trademark owner information
• A description of the goods or services
• The applicable trademark class or classes
• The filing basis

Examples of use, if filing based on use in commerce

Contact information for the owner

A trademark application is a legal filing. Important information includes the correct owner, the mark itself, the goods or services, the filing basis, contact information, and—when required—evidence showing use of the mark in commerce. Errors in ownership, filing basis, or the identification of goods and services can create delays and, in some situations, may not be fully correctable after filing.

The filing basis explains why the applicant is entitled to apply. Two common U.S. bases are 'use in commerce,' for marks already being used in qualifying commerce, and 'intent to use,' for applicants who have a bona fide—meaning genuine and good-faith—intention to use the mark in commerce in the future.