The law has come a long way when it comes to getting things done quickly. Well, at least in most areas. When it comes to intellectual property issues, patience is definitely something that you need to have. In this article, we take a look at how long you should expect it to take to get a trademark approved by the Patent & Trademark Office.

As the name suggests, the Patent & Trademark Office is in charge of the filing process for both patents and trademarks. The “PTO” is the epitome of an agency that is underfunded and overworked. Whether we are talking about patents or trademarks, the filing process takes a very long time.

The first step is the application process. This is an area where things have been spread up significantly. In most situations, you can simple file electronically using a form on the PTO site. While the form is fairly simple, there can be instances where sending in a sample of the trademark require a paper filing. Regardless, the application starts the filing process.

Once the application is filed, you can expect to wait a year to 18 months on average for the approval to come. The vast majority of this time is spent sitting around and waiting. The first thing you will hear from the PTO is a small postcard that comes in three months or so. The card merely verifies the application has been received and will be reviewed. Three to six months after that, the examining attorney for your filing will send a letter alerting you to any problems or areas of the application needing further explanation. Alternatively, the attorney may indicate the application is accepted and will be published for comment.

If things go smoothly, the total time from filing to approval is going to be roughly a year. If the examining attorney raises issues, you can add at least six months to the process. It is as simple as that.

Trademarks are very valuable properties for a business. That being said, obtaining them takes a significant amount of patience. The old adage of “hurry up and wait” definitely applies here.