Trademarks and service marks have no pre-determined shelf life. A trademark may last for generations, like Coca-Cola, as long as it's not abandoned or permitted to lose its trademark significance by becoming a generic term. Once the mark is registered, certain filing requirements relating to establishing continued use of the mark and/or renewal of the registration must be met in order to keep it yours. Most countries, including the U.S., provide for a ten-year term for trademark registrations.

Page 7 of 11