Do You Need to Trademark Your Logo and Name Separately?

Do You Need to Trademark Your Logo and Name Separately?

If your logo already has your business name in it, it's natural to assume one trademark covers everything. It doesn't — and this misunderstanding is one of the most common (and expensive) mistakes founders make when protecting their brand.

This guide breaks down exactly how name and logo trademarks work, when you need both, which to file first, and what to watch out for at every stage.

What Is the Difference Between a Name Trademark and a Logo Trademark?

The USPTO recognizes two main types of trademarks relevant to brand identity:

Word Mark (Standard Character Mark) — protects your brand name as text, regardless of font, color, or style. If you register "Apex" as a word mark, you own the exclusive right to use that word in your industry — in any visual presentation.

Design Mark (Logo Mark) — protects the specific visual appearance of your logo: the graphic, the stylized lettering, the shapes, the layout. It covers that exact design as filed, not the words inside it in isolation.

A composite mark combines both — name and logo filed together as one image. This registers the combined design but does not independently protect the name or the logo on their own.

The critical distinction: a design mark protects how something looks. A word mark protects what it says.

Does Trademarking a Logo Protect the Business Name Too?

No — and this is the trap most people fall into.
If your logo contains your brand name in a stylized font and you file only a design mark, you are protecting that specific visual presentation. You are not securing exclusive rights to the name itself.
That means a competitor could use your exact brand name — in a different font or logo style — and potentially avoid infringement. Your design mark protects the outfit, not the identity.
The inverse is also true: a word mark does not protect the graphic elements of your logo. If someone copies your icon, symbol, or distinctive visual, a word mark alone may not stop them.

What Happens If You File the Name and Logo Together in One Application?

Filing them together as a composite mark is cheaper upfront — one application fee instead of two. But it creates serious long-term risk:

• You don't own either element independently. The trademark only covers the name and logo as one combined image.
• Logo changes can kill your registration. Businesses evolve their visual identity. If your logo undergoes a significant redesign — what the USPTO calls a "material alteration" — your original registration may no longer apply. You'd need to refile the logo. But if your name was registered separately, that word mark survives untouched.
• Enforcement gaps appear. Copycats using only your name with a different logo, or copying your logo without the name, may avoid infringement claims if you only hold a composite mark.

The general consensus among trademark professionals: filing separately gives you stronger, more flexible, and more durable protection.

When Should You File Together? (The Exception)

There is one scenario where filing name and logo together makes strategic sense: when your brand name is non-distinctive — meaning it's too generic or descriptive to qualify for registration on its own.
If your name alone would be rejected (as merely descriptive, or as a common surname), pairing it with a distinctive logo design can help the combined mark pass examination. In this case, the visual elements "carry" the name through registration.

Outside of this exception, filing separately is the stronger approach.

Which Should You Trademark First — Name or Logo?

If you can only file one application, trademark the name first.

Here's why:

• Names tend to stay consistent. Logos change. Your brand name is the more stable long-term asset.
• A word mark is broader. It protects the name in any font, color, or style — including future logo designs that include that name.
• Logos evolve with your brand. Registering a logo now means you may need to refile it after a redesign anyway.

The priority order most trademark professionals recommend:

1. Word mark (brand name) — file first
2. Design mark (logo) — file when the logo is finalized and you're confident it won't change
3. Composite mark (name + logo together) — optional, for layered portfolio protection at scale

How Much Does It Cost to File Both?

USPTO filing fees are currently $350 per mark, per class of goods or services (using the standard TEAS Plus application as of 2025).

If you operate in one category:

• Name only: ~$350
• Logo only: ~$350
• Both separately: ~$700
• Both + composite: ~$1,050

Each additional class of goods or services adds another fee per mark. Filing across multiple industries (e.g., software and merchandise) increases costs accordingly.

What to Avoid

Filing them together to save money. It seems efficient. Long-term, it leaves both elements underprotected and ties your name's fate to your logo's survival.

Assuming your logo registration covers the name. It doesn't. The two elements require independent registrations for independent protection.

Waiting until your logo is "perfect" to file anything. File the word mark now. You can file the design mark later when the logo is locked in.

Confusing a business name registration with a trademark. Registering your LLC or company name with a state does not give you trademark rights. Trademark rights come from use in commerce and/or federal registration with the USPTO.

Changing your logo without refiling. If your logo mark is registered and you significantly redesign the logo, the old registration may not cover the new design. File a new application for the updated logo.

When Do You Need Both?

File both a word mark and a design mark when:

• Your brand operates in a competitive space where copycats are likely
• Your logo is distinctive and visually recognizable on its own (icons, symbols, unique graphic systems)
• You're preparing for investor conversations, licensing deals, or acquisition
• You plan to scale internationally — strong foundational IP makes foreign registration easier
• You use the name and logo in different contexts (e.g., wordmark on documents, logo on products)

Next Steps

Here is a clear path forward based on where you are:

• Pre-launch / no logo finalized yet — File an intent-to-use word mark now to secure your priority date. Add the logo later.
• Logo is finalized and in active use — File both word mark and design mark. Start with the name if budget is limited.
• Already using both but never filed — Run a trademark search first to confirm availability, then file the word mark immediately.
• Have a composite mark but no separate filings — You have partial protection. Plan to add a standalone word mark to close the gap.
• Planning a rebrand — Protect the new name before launch. File a fresh logo mark once the redesign is confirmed.

Trademarking your name and logo are two separate acts of protection because they are two separate things. Building both, in the right order, is how you build a brand that competitors cannot copy piece by piece.