If you are based in the US, you CAN file a trademark application without an attorney. If you are based outside the US, you MUST have ``domestic representation.'' This can be a service or attorney.
With trademarks, the entire process can be completed online pretty easily, even if you do it yourself without hiring an attorney. The United States Patent and Trademark Office, or USPTO, provides great self-help and a manageable online interview.
Registering a trademark yourself The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) provides a trademark application and instructions to walk applicants through the process on its website. In some cases, registering a trademark is straightforward and doing it by yourself probably wouldn't raise any issues.
The USPTO may be required to refuse registration of your mark on numerous grounds. The most common are: Likelihood of Confusion: The USPTO conducts a search for conflicting marks as part of the official examination of an application only after a trademark application is filed.
The entire trademark registration process in the Philippines takes about five (5) to seven (7) months to be completed, depending on how quick the examination process of the Intellectual Property Office is, and how quick the applicant or its agent acts during the procedure.