---
title: "Don’t bother securing your trademarks in the beginning"
source: PostHog Documentation
source_url: https://github.com/PostHog/posthog.com
licence: MIT
domain: data-and-analysis
subdomain: posthog-docs
date_added: 2026-04-25
---

_**Disclaimer:** This is intended as a short, tactical guide to getting your trademarks sorted out for the first time, on a minimal budget. This is *not* legal advice and we are not lawyers - this is just what has worked for us._

Don't bother securing your trademarks in the early days of your business - wait until you've raised a seed round first to mitigate the risk of wasting your money. 

Those first crucial months present bigger problems to worry about - like finding product-market fit or hiring. There's also a good chance that your brand will evolve, from name changes and logo revamps to brand fonts and colors. This makes trademarking a word mark or logo mark _that_ early a risky bet.

## What is the different between a word mark and a logo mark?

A word mark is basically just the name of the brand (as written in a specific font, if applicable). In our case, it's the word 'PostHog.' A logo mark is typically pictorial - in our case, the hedgehog logo either alone or combined with a stylized word. The word mark is the most versatile, so that should be your first trademark priority.


When you decide to register your trademark, you don't need to spend a fortune doing it. With a tactical combination of using the right type of lawyer and doing it yourself, you should be able to get trademarks filed in the US, UK, EU and China for ~$3,000 _in total_.

(Why China? Even if you're not doing business there today, China operates a 'first to file' rule for trademarks, rather than 'first use,' which means whoever registers the trademark there first gets to keep it. Great for IP trolls - not so great for you.)

We’ve currently secured our brand name ('PostHog') and word mark in the four territories listed above. The process differs slightly for each region:

1. **US:** Hire a trademark attorney to do it for you (necessary if you live outside the US). You can find fixed-fee service providers to avoid getting charged by the hour. We used [Cognition IP](https://www.cognitionip.com/) and like them. Cost = ~$1,300.  
2. **UK:** File it yourself through the [UK Intellectual Property Office](https://www.gov.uk/topic/intellectual-property/trade-marks)’s easy to use website. It’s actually faster than hiring a trademarks and IP lawyer to do it for you. Cost = $0. 
3. **EU:** If you live in the European Union, you can simply file the trademark yourself via the [EU IPO website](https://euipo.europa.eu/ohimportal/en/apply-now) If you’re outside the EU, you'll need to hire an agent to do it for you. You can search for an agent in your country through the [EU IPO](https://euipo.europa.eu/eSearch/#advanced/representatives) as well. Cost = $0 if you live in the EU, ~$200 if you need an agent. 
4. **China:** Hire a reputable agent on the mainland to do it for you - we used [Anli Partners](http://www.anlilaw.com/100040/) who were great. Remember, you have to be the first to file the trademark otherwise your application will be rejected. Cost = ~$1,500. 

## Should open source companies trademark their brand names?

The phrase 'open source' might denote a public codebase, but a brand name can definitely be trademarked. For example, we want people to [deploy our open source edition](https://github.com/PostHog/posthog) wherever they please, but we don't want them to slap the 'PostHog' name on random products. Besides, if you’re [raising money](https://posthog.com/blog/open-source-business-models) for your startup in the future, IP is a box that investors will want you to check as part of their diligence. 

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