For U.S. trademarks, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is the place to go to register your trademark or service mark and protect it from being used by someone else. Figuring out the costs can be a little overwhelming, so here are the basics.

The USPTO has two different application filing systems: the Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS) and an international system (TEASi). The TEASi system is an e-filing system that allows you to file forms required under the Madrid Protocol.