A trademark can last forever, as long as the mark is used in commerce but if a trademark holder no longer uses the trademark, or fails to enforce his/her trademark rights, he may lose his trademark rights.
The total time for a Trademark Application to be processed, from beginning to end, should hopefully not take more than a year. BUT trademark rights are retroactive to the date of the filing. File as soon as possible!
Fundamentally, Dividing a trademark application removes, but does not eliminate, the designated portion of the application and assigns it to an entirely new trademark application.
A Descriptive Trademark describes the purpose or function of the goods/services sold under the trademark and is ineligible protection on the Principal Register
Trade Dress contemplates the general appearance of a product including not only the design of the product but also its packaging. Color, texture, shape, scent, or even flavor can all be components of trade dress.
