You own the store. Do you own the name?
A domain and a Shopify plan are infrastructure. A trademark is the thing that stops someone else trading under your name \u2014 including on the marketplaces you expand into next.
What a domain actually gives you
Registering a domain reserves an address. It creates no trademark rights, does not stop a competitor selling under the same name, and will not help you if someone else registers that name federally. We are not affiliated with Shopify; their policies are their own.
Where independent stores get caught.
Ads get cloned before products do
Copycats lift creative, product photography and store names, then run paid traffic against them. Platforms act faster on a takedown backed by a registration than one backed by an explanation.
You expand onto marketplaces
Most Shopify brands eventually sell on Amazon, Etsy or eBay too. Every one of those programmes wants documented rights, and the registration takes about a year to arrive.
Someone else files your name first
US rights turn on use and on filing. A competitor who registers the name you have been trading under can put you on the wrong end of a takedown for your own brand.
Investors and buyers ask
If you ever raise or sell, the first intellectual property question is who owns the name. A domain receipt is not an answer.
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.