e-TEAS Tech Info

TRADEMARK ELECTRONIC APPLICATION SYSTEM (TEAS)

Welcome to United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)

TEAS Important Notice

Important Notice on TEAS

Paper Filings: The PrinTEAS option for creating paper forms to mail to the USPTO no longer exists; however, the USPTO still does accept paper filings. You may still mail or hand deliver paper forms to the following address:
Eastern Time Controls filing date. All forms filed via TEAS are stamped Eastern Time when received on the USPTO server. The time stamp is applied at the moment the payment process is completed and the Success screen is displayed. The time stamp applied by the TEAS server is the official time the USPTO received the application or form; the time the transmission was begun is not a factor considered when assigning the filing date. The official filing date and time can be found at the bottom of your e-mail confirmation.
Form Session Time Limit. Each TEAS form has a session time limit of 60 minutes. A session begins once you create and enter a form via the Form Wizard. If you exceed the 60 minute time limit, the form will not validate and you must begin the entire process again. Therefore, you should have all information required to complete the form available prior to starting your session.
Ensuring receipt of all information. If you have installed Anti-Spam filters or software on your email service, please ensure that legitimate emails from TEAS@uspto.gov is not falsely identified as spam or junk. Also, the USPTO forms use pop-up windows to display critical information. To use this site properly, you must disable any existing pop-up filters (through either anti-virus software or a pop-up killer program).
Keeping Data When "Backing Up" in Forms. If you "back up" on a TEAS form after validation, e.g., to correct an error, and your form is now completely blank, your system probably has a "cache" deficiency. Augmenting your cache can enhance your computer system's performance, and allow you to complete TEAS forms without losing previously-entered data. To accomplish this, you should allocate at least 5-10 megabytes (approximately 5,000-10,000 KB) of your hard drive to the browser. If you have a small hard drive and cannot allocate this amount, you should allocate about 5-10% of your available hard drive capacity to your browser. Also, we recommend that you periodically totally clear your cached files.
Augmenting your Cache
To increase your cache size, follow the steps under the appropriate browser version:
For Navigator 4-7x:
1. Under the Edit menu, select Preferences, double-click Advanced, and select Cache.
2. Change the disk cache to between 5,000 and 10,000 KB.
For Internet Explorer 4:
1. Under the View menu, select Internet Options and choose the General tab.
2. Under Temporary Internet Files, click Settings. Under "Amount of disk space to use," drag the slider all the way to the right and click "ok."
For Internet Explorer 5-6x:
1. Under the Tools menu, select Internet Options and choose the General tab.
2. Under Temporary Internet Files, click Settings. Under "Amount of disk space to use," drag the slider all the way to the right and click "ok."
Clearing your Cache
To clear your cached files, follow the steps under the appropriate browser version:
For Navigator 4-7x:
1. Under the Edit menu, select Preferences, double-click Advanced, and select Cache.
2. Click the Clear Memory Cache and Clear Disc Cache buttons.
For Internet Explorer 4:
1. Under the View menu, select Options and choose the General tab.
2. In the Temporary Internet Files dialog box, click Settings/Delete Files.
For Internet Explorer 5-6x:
1. Under the Tools menu, select Internet Options and choose the General tab.
2. In the Temporary Internet Files section, click Delete Cookies Delete History files.
Filing Fee and Refund Policy. The filing fee is $335.00 per class of goods and/or services (i.e., an application may only have one mark, but may cover multiple classes; e.g., an application with two classes would be for both computer software in Class 9 and t-shirts in Class 25, making the filing fee $670.00). Although only one mark is permissible per application, a mark may consist of several elements that are joined to form a composite whole (e.g., words plus a design). You do not have to have already used your mark before filing an application. However, if the mark has not already been used in interstate commerce at the time of filing, but instead the application is based on an "intent-to-use" the mark in interstate commerce in the future, an additional fee of $100.00 per class will be required when the "Allegation of Use" form is submitted (whereas a "use-based" application does not require this additional fee). Also, the filing fee is a processing fee for the application. This fee is not returned even if ultimately the USPTO does not issue a registration. You should take all necessary steps to ensure the mark is registrable before filing the application.
Avoiding Formatting Problems. Simply cutting and pasting a Word or Word Perfect document into a TEAS form may cause the introduction of unwanted characters in the form and/or prevent successful validation of the form. This is especially true for heavily formatted Word or Word Perfected documents. To avoid this problem, you should convert the Word or Word Perfect document to a text format. This can be done by using the "save as" and 'save as type" features of Word or Word Perfect. Because a text document does not allow for complex formatting and it is best to prepare responses or recitations of goods and or services with little or no formatting. There is not a problem with text that is typed directly into the form or text that was previously saved as an html document. If the form you are trying to use allows you to attach images as evidence, you could create JPG images of heavily-formatted documents and attach them to the form via this method.

Image files for TEAS must be in JPG format. Image files for TEAS must be in JPG format. (Note: the Electronic Trademark Assignment System (ETAS), unrelated to TEAS, the image files must be in a TIFF format). To file an initial application for a stylized or design mark, you must be able to attach a black-and-white image file. Where a specimen (sample) of actual use in commerce is required, you must attach a scanned image or digital photograph, showing the mark "in use"), not exceeding 2 megabytes per attachment.

Please note the following:
1) Mark images should not include the trademark, service mark or registration symbols (TM, SM, ®). These symbols should only appear on specimens.
2) Mark images should be submitted with as little white space around the design as possible. Unless a color image is being submitted for a mark wherein color is claimed as a feature of the mark, the mark image should be pure black-and-white, with no gray areas. See link to additional help within the Mark Section of the form, under "black-and-white."
3) If you cannot validate the form after attaching an image file, please try validating the form without the image attached; if successful, try re-saving the image.
4) After validation, you should be able to view your image from the Validation Page. If you cannot view your images, they are not properly attached. NOTE: Both the Mark and Specimen images may appear huge when you review the images via the links on the Validation Page, and you may not be able to print them in the proper dimensions from that page (i.e., the mark image must print no larger than 3.15 x 3.15 inches (8 x 8 cms.) and the specimen image must print no larger than 8 1/2 x 11 inches). This does not indicate that there is a problem with your image file. Current browser and monitor technologies display all images at 72 dpi, causing images scanned at a higher dpi level to appear huge after attachment. The USPTO can process your image file, if you were able to save and print your image attachment from your image creating software in the proper dimensions prior to attaching the image to the form. See link to additional help within the Mark Section of the form, under "properly-sized JPG image file."
5) Images created on a Macintosh using Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator must be properly saved with appended file extensions .jpg for use on a Windows system. We cannot open image files that are not properly saved prior to attachment.
6) Internet Explorer on the Macintosh platform will not permit proper image attachment. You must use Netscape or a PC.
7) Adobe Photoshop/Illustrator users must ensure that images are saved with the RGB color scheme. The USPTO cannot accept the CYMK color scheme. If you can open your image with your browser, then it is saved in the RGB color scheme.
8) Do not zip your image files or add any additional compression. JPG files are already compressed.

Three payment options available. Three options (credit card, automated deposit account, and Electronic Funds Transfer will now appear after clicking on the PAY/SUBMIT button, which is available on the bottom of the Validation Page after completing and validating the application form. You will not specify a payment option in the Form Wizard or within the form itself.

Availability. TEAS is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for issuance of filing dates when the USPTO is officially closed. However, because TEAS will not permit payment processing from 12 a.m. to 4 a.m. on Sundays, you cannot transmit an application during that period (although you can complete an application and save it using the download portable form feature available once you successfully validate the application, to resume the payment piece at a later time).

Additional Help. For additional general trademark information, please telephone the Trademark Assistance Center, at 1-800-786-9199, or e-mail your question to TrademarkAssistanceCenter@uspto.gov. If you need help in resolving glitches or need answers to technical questions, you can email us at TEAS@uspto.gov. Please include your telephone number, so we can talk to you directly, if necessary.