Top 5 Alt Legal Trademark and IP Blog Posts of 2025
Alt Legal Team | December 05, 2025
Check out the top Alt Legal blog posts that our community of trademark professionals enjoyed in 2025! Take some time over the holidays to catch up on some reading you might have missed that will certainly inform your trademark practice in 2026. Also, be sure to bookmark the Alt Legal Resource Library, which contains our full collection of resources, including blog articles, organized by topic.
About the Alt Legal Blog
Alt Legal’s blog is a go-to resource for all things trademarks and intellectual property. Thousands of IP professionals visit our blog monthly for news, updates and guidance as they navigate the world of trademarks and IP.
Articles are generally written by our team, but we also accept guest blogger submissions from experts in the field. If you are interested in contributing to Alt Legal’s blog as a guest blogger, please fill out the submission form.
1. Everything You Never Knew You Needed to Know About the Trademark ID Manual
In January 2025, the USPTO phased out the popular TEAS Plus trademark application form, introducing a new base fee for all applications at $350/class. Using the USPTO Trademark ID Manual definitions is a helpful way to contain costs and avoid expensive custom text field ID that cost $550/class! This guest blog article from former USPTO Trademark Examiner, Rachael Dickson provides practical tips for using the USPTO Trademark ID Manual and crafting the most accurate, cost-effective goods and services descriptions.
2. Using AI to Enhance Your Trademark Work: A Deep Dive for Paralegals and Legal Professionals
AI has taken over in 2025, changing how we live and work. Legal professionals are constantly looking for ways to incorporate AI into their workflows to increase efficiency while upholding accuracy and ethical standards. This article, based on a webinar where Alt Legal CEO Nehal Madhani spoke, provides a background on AI, explains how to incorporate AI into trademark practice, gives tips for understanding the latest trends in AI, and discusses various obstacles that may hinder AI implementation.
Bonus resource: Be sure to join us on January 15, 2026 for the Alt Legal Webinar, “Mark to the Future: Predictions for AI’s Impacts on Trademark Practice” where Alt Legal Head of Community Bri Van Til will conduct an interview with Professor Daryl Lim (Penn State Dickinson Law) and He Jing (Partner at Gen Law in China) to explore how AI is reshaping trademark practice in the U.S. and China and where the biggest opportunities and risks lie. Register here.
3. How to Effectively Respond to §2(d) Refusals
One of the most common reasons that the USPTO will refuse a trademark application is due to §2(d) likelihood of confusion. These refusals are some of the most challenging citations to overcome. However, with carefully crafted arguments based on evidence and legal precedent, you can effectively argue that your client’s mark is distinct and ensure that it proceeds to registration. This article provides tips for drafting a successful office action response to a §2(d) refusal.
Bonus resources:
- At the I ♡ Trademarks Conference 2025, IP attorneys Lydia Gobena (Fross Zelnick) and M.J. Williams (Wissing Miller) presented the session, “Don’t Jump to Confusions: Overcoming Trademark Refusals Across Borders.” Review the summary here.
- Check out this Alt Legal Webinar with Dunlap, Bennett & Ludwig partner Claire Gibson to learn about assessing likelihood of confusion: What’s DuPont of These Factors?: Assessing and applying the DuPont factors
4.Transforming IP Docketing from Cost Center to Revenue Generator
Often, law firms and in-house departments view IP docketing software as simply a cost of doing business. Before finalizing your budget for 2026, be sure to check out this article about how you can make your IP docketing software work for you and deliver a positive ROI.
Bonus resources:
- 5 Ways Trademark Docketing Software Boosts Law Firm Profitability
- Choosing the Right Trademark Docketing Software: A Comparison Guide
- 10 Key Questions to Ask When Demoing Trademark Docketing Software
- How to Streamline Your Trademark Practice with Automated Docketing
5. TMAE Summit: Sessions Guide
In September 2025, Alt Legal and the Trademark Administrators’ Exchange hosted the TMAE Summit, a novel event designed specifically for trademark administrators (TMAs), including trademark paralegals, and docketers. Over 60 trademark professionals participated in CLE educational sessions, interactive discussions, and valuable networking — all in a collaborative, welcoming environment. This blog article contains links to summaries and materials from each of the four CLE sessions:
- Marking to the Same Beat: Aligning In-House Trademark Teams with Other Departments
- Response‑Ability: Researching and Drafting Office Action Responses
- KPI Got This: Measuring Success for Trademark Team
- Before It Gets Lit(igated): Sober approaches to avoid litigation
Bonus Resources
- The TMA Talk Show, hosted by the Trademark Administrators’ Exchange (TMAE), Emily Quackenbush (Senior Paralegal at Perkins Coie) and Kara Fielder (Senior IP Manager at Worldpay) lead discussions focused on community, collaboration, and the unique contributions of each episode’s special guests. This blog post links to all recordings, plus you can listen to all episodes on the Spotify podcast here.
- Trademark Paralegal Resource Page — Bookmark this useful page which contains helpful links and updates geared toward trademark administrators.
- Trademark Administrators’ Exchange (TMAE), — Join the TMAE, an email-based discussion group exclusively for trademark administrators to share knowledge and resources.