A standard character drawing (word mark) is a type of trademark that is used to seek the registration of words, letters, numbers, or combinations without claim to a particular design or style. A standard character mark is submitted to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and shows the mark in black on a white background.

Example of a standard character design
Example of a standard character design

A standard character drawing must show the mark in black on a white background.  An applicant may submit a standard character drawing if:

  • The mark does not include a design element;
  • All letters and words in the mark are depicted in Latin characters;
  • All numerals in the mark are depicted in Roman or Arabic numerals;
  • The mark includes only common punctuation or diacritical marks; and
  • No stylization of lettering and/or numbers is claimed in the mark.

See TMEP 807.03(a); 37 C.F.R. §2.52(a).

Additionally, the USPTO has included a list of standard characters that are acceptable to include in the marks literal elements.  When filing an application with a standard character mark, the applicant must also submit the following claim:

The mark consists of standard characters without claim to any particular font style, size, or color.