Your shop name belongs to Etsy's system, not to you.
Having the shop URL is not ownership. A trademark is what gives you rights in the name \u2014 on Etsy and everywhere else.
What a shop name actually gives you
Registering a shop on Etsy reserves a handle on their platform. It does not create trademark rights, it does not stop anyone selling under the same name elsewhere, and it does not protect you if someone else registers that name federally. We are not affiliated with Etsy; their policies are theirs and can change.
Where sellers get caught.
Someone else registers your name
Trademark rights in the US turn on use and on filing. If a competitor registers the name you have been trading under, you can find yourself on the wrong end of a takedown for your own brand.
Copycat shops appear
Etsy's reporting tools work best when you can point to an actual registration. Without one you are asking a platform to arbitrate a dispute you cannot document.
You outgrow the platform
A shop name that only exists on Etsy does not travel to your own site, to wholesale, or to another marketplace. A registration does.
The name was never available
Plenty of shop names were already someone else's trademark before the shop opened. That is worth knowing before you print packaging, not after.
Flat fee, template, or hourly.
| Getting the registration you need | My Trademark Vault | Online filing sites | Traditional attorney |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it costs | $199 flat, plus the USPTO fee shown separately | A low headline price, with add-ons priced separately | Commonly hourly or a higher flat fee |
| Government fee | Shown as its own line and never marked up | Sometimes bundled into one number | Billed through, usually itemised |
| Who reviews it | A licensed US attorney | Often software plus a paralegal | A licensed attorney |
| Class selection | We confirm your class count before you pay any government fee | Usually your choice, at your risk | Advised |
| If a refusal arrives | $299 flat, whatever the refusal turns out to be | Priced separately, often more than the filing | More hours |
| Deadline tracking after filing | Included — we watch the docket and tell you | Usually your responsibility | Usually included |
| Outcome guarantee | None. The USPTO decides | Sometimes implied | None |
A comparison of service models, not of named providers. Terms vary between individual firms and platforms - always check what any provider actually includes before you buy, including ours.