State vs. Federal Trademark Registration
It is possible to have a federal trademark, state trademark, or both. You can register a mark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office to obtain a federal trademark. By registering with the USPTO, you may protect your mark from infringement throughout the United States for a fee of $275.00 per class of goods or services. On the other hand, you can register your mark through The Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations to acquire a state trademark. In this manner, you may protect your mark from infringement in the State of Florida for a fee of only $87.50 per class of goods or services.
Why register in both? In the event of infringement, you can seek remedies under both the federal and state laws. I recommend filing both federal and state applications if your competition in your industry is fierce and lucrative. An example of this would be the technology industry, especially prior to the ".com" bubble bursting.
You must, however, qualify to file for a trademark registration. Be sure that your trademark qualifies for registration before paying the filing fees, since those are non-refundable.
