How can one register a trademark for a mobile app name without a lawyer?

Question

I want to get a trademark for my mobile app. It is available also in App Store and Google Play.

Do I need international protection? Do I need register on USPTO or WIPO?

I have a low budget.

Do I need pay for a lawyer to support registration?

In this youtube video, a lawyer shows how easy it is to register a trademark without the support of a lawyer only for $225.

I checked an existing other trademark called MEMRISE. It is also an iOS app in App Store. MEMRISE is registered in USPTO (the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office) but not in WIPO (the World Intellectual Property Organization).

As I understand it, USPTO is a US federal agency. Is WIPO is international?

I am Hungarian citizen in Europe. Should I register a trademark in the Hungarian trademark institute instead or in addition?

Answer 1

You need to hire a lawyer if you are serious about protecting your intellectual property. This is not a simple and straight forward case.

Protecting a trademark involves more than just filing out some government forms. It involves understanding what a trademark really means, and understanding which country's intellectual property laws are relevant and how they gain international effectiveness, which a short You Tube video can't teach you.

Also, if you can't afford to hire a lawyer to determine where you should file your trademark application, filing a trademark application at all is pretty pointless.

This is because it probably costs something like $2,000-$5000 to hire a lawyer to file a trademark application in a way that has international effect, but it probably costs $50,000 to $250,000 to bring a lawsuit to enforce an international trademark dispute.

If you can't conceivably ever afford to bring a lawsuit to enforce your trademark rights if you acquire them somehow, despite your lack of legal assistance, the rights you have gained are worthless anyway, because you can't afford to enforce them.