Maginot, Moore & Beck LLP
Patents, trademarks, and copyrights; 30+ years and 7,000+ patents secured; Best Lawyers Tier 1
Free ConsultationFlat filing $1,000–$2,500📍 Indianapolis
Protecting a brand, invention, or creative work in Indianapolis usually starts with one question: who owns it, and how do you keep it? Trademarks are registered nationally through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and when someone copies your mark the case is typically filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana downtown. Indiana also offers a state trademark registration through the Secretary of State for businesses operating only within the state. An IP lawyer runs a clearance search before you spend money on a name, files the application correctly so it survives examination, and sends cease-and-desist letters or litigates when a competitor crosses the line. Indianapolis trademark attorneys generally charge $300–$500 an hour, or a flat $1,000–$2,500 to prepare and file a single-class trademark application, on top of the USPTO's $350-per-class government filing fee. The firms below handle trademarks, copyrights, patents, licensing, and IP disputes for Indianapolis businesses and creators.
Updated June 16, 2026
Patents, trademarks, and copyrights; 30+ years and 7,000+ patents secured; Best Lawyers Tier 1
Trademark, copyright, patent, and technology law; U.S. News "Best Law Firms" recognized
Registered patent attorney; trademark applications and IP litigation; 41 years experience
Trademark clearance, USPTO filing, brand protection, and licensing
Full-service firm with a deep intellectual property and technology practice
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Intellectual property comes in four buckets, and they protect different things. A trademark protects a brand name, logo, or slogan. A copyright protects creative work like writing, music, art, and code. A patent protects an invention. A trade secret protects confidential business information like a formula or customer list. Most Indianapolis small businesses need trademark help first, because a name collision can force a costly rebrand after you have already printed signs, packaging, and a website.
Trademarks are registered through the USPTO, which charges $350 per class of goods or services at filing. Before you file, an attorney runs a clearance search to make sure your mark is available and not confusingly similar to an existing one. That search is the step that saves money: skipping it is how businesses spend thousands building a brand they ultimately cannot keep. If a competitor infringes a federally registered mark, the lawsuit is filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, and registration is what gives you the strongest footing there. Indiana also has a state trademark registration through the Secretary of State, useful for purely in-state businesses but far narrower than federal protection.
On cost, expect $300–$500 an hour for experienced Indianapolis IP counsel, or a flat $1,000–$2,500 to clear and file a single-class trademark, plus the $350 government fee per class. Patents cost considerably more because they require a registered patent attorney and detailed technical drafting. Whatever the matter, get the clearance search done before you commit to a name, because the order of operations is where most money is won or lost.