In the US, trademarks eligible for federal protection may be registered with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) under the Lanham Act. While registration of a trademark is not required for trademark protection, it provides additional rights and benefits beyond those available under common law.

This Toolkit provides continually maintained resources to help US-based mark owners and their counsel register a trademark with the USPTO and maintain the registration.

For information on registering trademarks under state law, see Trademark Laws: State Q&A Tool. For information on protecting trademarks outside the US, see International Trademark Management for US Trademark Owners Toolkit.