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Thursday, January 23rd
Trademark Elite is an application and registration service designed by attorneys. Offering a range of services that include copyright registration assistance and trademark registrations, the promise offered by Trademark Elite is that they'll simplify the process for you. Trademark Elite will help you with finalizing all details on your copyright as well as file the paperwork without you lifting a finger.
Simple questionnaire to get started
To start your work on Trademark Elite, you just need to select "Patent & Copyright” from the dropdown menu and click the "Start My Copyright” button once you get to the copyright services page. You'll be asked to answer a quick questionnaire that includes key information about your creative work, like what type of work you're trying to register. You'll be asked to make an account with Trademark Elite to proceed, but this is free to do. Then, you'll be asked about the title and previous publications of your work (where applicable). Once you upload a digital copy of your work, you can easily finish the questionnaire by answering questions about yourself (the author).
Three packages for different mediums
There are three different packages for copyright registration at Trademark Elite and the only differences among them depends on what kind of media you're trying to copyright. The Standard Package is a copyright registration for photos only. The Elite Package is a copyright registration for any visual medium (though Trademark Elite does not tell you what that entails). Finally, the Comprehensive Package is for multimedia projects. When you complete the questionnaire, Trademark Elite will assign you a package when it's time to check out based on your answers and the file you upload.
Pricing from $399 to $799
The pricing is also different depending on what type of media you use, and it's incredibly costly. The prices are so shockingly high that we're a bit suspicious that Trademark Elite may not be entirely honest about fees and other aspects of the process. No other site in our review charges this much for US copyright registration. Here's what we found:
No extras to make up for the price difference
There aren't any extras or add-ons involved in the process, though it does appear that Trademark Elite does not charge you an additional filing fee. This fee is usually quite low and still doesn't make the high costs at Trademark Elite sensible. Considering the cost vs. value, you may want to check out alternative services: Trademark Elite will not help you save money on your copyright registration.
No real guarantee or refund policy
We found details about the satisfaction guarantee (or lack thereof) by talking to the customer service chat at Trademark Elite. The company lists a satisfaction guarantee in the checkout window for copyright registration, but the actual details state that Trademark Elite "will do what [they] can” to make you happy. There are no promises for refunds if your copyright does not end up getting registered. The customer service team also confirmed there is no refund or recourse for copyright registration, though if your registration application is refused, you can "ask about a discount” for the fees to file a new application.
Missing the mark in recent years
Trademark Elite does not have a page with the Better Business Bureau. We found some decent reviews on third-party sites like Trustpilot where Trademark Elite holds a 4.4-star average. Customers felt they were taken care of by Trademark Elite and they liked the hands-off approach. However, there have been more and more 1-star reviews in recent years that include accusations of scams and rude responses from team members. Considering the high cost of copyright registration, these low-rated reviews are concerning.
Extremely high prices are unnecessary
While the ratings are solid so far, we're deeply concerned by the extremely high prices at Trademark Elite. There's no real reason for the costs to be this high, even with covering the registration fees paid to the government. For this reason, we can't recommend Trademark Elite over other sites that offer the same features for a much lower price. For now, Trademark Elite earns a lower rating, with a warning regarding the exorbitant pricing that you just don't need to pay.
Have you ever created something and worried about sharing your genius idea, art piece, or story because it might get stolen? Copyrighting your work is one way to get some peace of mind and protection for your creative endeavors. For those who don't know, a copyright is a form of legal protection offered by the U.S. Constitution for original works created in a "tangible medium” of expression.
In layman's terms, copyrights cover any intellectual property that is an original work of authorship like a book, musical, play, song, poetry, movie, computer software architecture, and more. No matter what kind of creator you are (singer, painter, poet, web designer), you can get your work protected.
The only things not covered by copyright law are facts, ideas, systems, or methods of operation. As long as your creation is tangible in some way (yes, music counts as tangible even though it's sound), it can be registered as intellectual property for a copyright. But what are the benefits?
Your work is technically "copyrighted” from the moment you create it. However, this is just an informal copyright and won't stand up in a court of law. If you want legal protection against your work getting stolen or protections against infringement or misuse of your work, you'll need to get a copyright registration. Registered works are eligible for statutory damages and attorney's fees being covered if you need to take something to litigation. In short, copyrights give you legal protections and if you need to go after another person or entity for stealing your work, you'll need to be properly registered to make the lawsuit stick.
Further, copyrights protect your work from misuse or use by others without your permission (someone can't take your book and turn it into a movie without facing legal trouble) if your book is copyrighted. Your copyright will last for your entire lifetime and an additional 70 years past that, so the managers of your estate will handle permissions related to your work's use. You won't have to register more than once for a single work. That way you can focus on your next big creation once you've got your copyright taken care of.
If you're ready to register your work with the US Electronic Copyright Office (ECO) or Library of Congress, but you're not sure how to finish the process or fill out the paperwork, don't worry - there are tons of services out there to help. To help you get started, we've put together a list of factors to help you narrow down your options. Here's what we found:
To help you get your most recent work protected under copyright law, Top Consumer Reviews has reviewed and ranked the top copyright registration services online today. This way, you can take the stress (and uncertainties) out of the legal process, and enjoy creating your music, novels, art, and architecture with the security that your work is protected. Happy copyrighting!
Select any 2 Copyright Registration Services to compare them head to head