Brand Assets • Design Protection

Can You Trademark a Logo, Tagline, or Product Design? Yes -- Here Is How

October 9, 2025
7 min read

The USPTO recognizes design marks, stylized wording, slogans, and trade dress when they distinguish your goods. Strategic filings expand your moat beyond a single word mark.

Filing a Stylized Logo

A design mark protects the exact composition of your logo, including typography, shapes, and positioning. Submit a black-and-white version to cover color variations unless color is a key brand element.

We prepare vector drawings that meet USPTO line-thickness and clarity rules so the mark is accepted without redraws.

Protecting Taglines and Slogans

Taglines must function as source indicators, not mere advertising puffery. Evidence should show the slogan placed near the brand name or logo on packaging or marketing materials.

Distinctive phrasing like "Just Do It" or "Because You Are Worth It" enjoys strong protection because consumers associate the words with a single source.

Trade Dress and Product Design

Unique packaging, store layouts, and product configurations may qualify if they are non-functional and consumers recognize them as brand identifiers.

You will need extensive evidence -- consumer declarations, sales data, and media coverage -- to prove acquired distinctiveness.

  • Color marks require showing that the hue is not essential to the product and has gained distinctiveness.
  • 3D product shapes should emphasize ornamental, not functional, elements.
  • Consider simultaneous copyright or design patent filings for complementary protection.

Build a Layered Protection Strategy

Legal Mark Experts audits every brand asset and recommends a filing roadmap that sequences word marks, logos, slogans, and trade dress for maximum coverage.

We coordinate evidence gathering and specimen preparation so each application sails through examination.

Need help applying these insights to your brand?

Our senior case analysts prepare filings, responses, and monitoring plans tailored to your risk profile.