Wisconsin does trademarks a little differently: one flat fee, filed with the Department of Financial Institutions, good for ten years. Here is what it covers, and where federal takes over.
Run a free trademark searchWisconsin's state trademark is unusual in two ways: it is filed with the Department of Financial Institutions rather than the Secretary of State, and it charges a single flat fee instead of a per class one. Cheap and simple, but still a state registration, which means it protects your name in Wisconsin only. "Wisconsin trademark" means one of two separate registrations. A state one through the DFI, and a federal one through the USPTO that covers all fifty states.
General information to help you decide, not legal advice. Trademark rights can depend on how and where a mark is used, the goods or services involved, prior users, and other facts. Source: Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, Trademark Fees. Secure Mark USA does not file Wisconsin state applications.
If your cheese, snacks, or beverages sell in stores outside Wisconsin, your brand travels far past a state registration.
Milwaukee area makers sell to customers nationwide, and federal registration matches that footprint.
Distribution across state lines means a name worth protecting in every state you ship to. That is federal.
A federal registration goes through the USPTO Trademark Center (which replaced the older TEAS platform): nationwide protection, the (R) symbol, and a public federal record, for $350 per class. On current USPTO data, expect roughly 4.5 months to a first action and about 10 months to registration for a clean application, longer with a refusal, an Office Action, a suspension, or an opposition. Secure Mark USA prepares and files it for you from $99 plus the USPTO fee. Start with a free trademark search or read the complete U.S. registration guide.
Source: USPTO Trademarks Dashboard; USPTO, How much does it cost.
Run a free search. If the name is clear, we file your federal application from $99 plus USPTO fees.
Start my free searchWisconsin assigns trademark and trade name registration to the Department of Financial Institutions. It is just where the state houses the function, and the registration still only covers Wisconsin.
Yes. The DFI charges a flat fee per mark rather than per class, and the registration lasts ten years. Federal is $350 per class and nationwide.
Federal. A Wisconsin only registration would not reach customers or competitors in the other states you sell into.
No. Entity formation is separate from trademark rights and will not stop a competitor from using your brand name.
Only after the USPTO registers your mark federally, roughly ten months for a straightforward application, sometimes longer.
USPTO: Trademark Basics, How much does it cost, Trademarks Dashboard.
Wisconsin: Department of Financial Institutions, Trademarks.
Secure Mark USA: Free trademark search, Complete U.S. registration guide.