Can I trademark a slogan on a T-shirt?

Usually not as printed. A slogan across the front of a shirt is treated as ornamental — decoration rather than an indicator of source — and refused registration. The workaround is to register the mark as used on neck labels, hangtags and small chest placements, which consumers do read as brand identifiers.

Is a T-shirt design protected by copyright?

The artwork printed on it is, automatically, and Star Athletica v. Varsity Brands confirmed that artwork applied to a garment stays copyrightable. The garment itself is a useful article and is not protected, which is why the cut and construction of clothing have very little protection in the US. Bare short phrases are excluded too.

How do print-on-demand sellers protect large catalogues?

Rarely by registering each design, which is not economic at volume — group registration options help for batches. The common approach is to register the designs likely to matter commercially and keep dated records of the rest, so that a takedown request against a copy has evidence predating it.

Trademark vs Copyright for a T-Shirt Design

Key takeaways

The artwork printed on the shirt is copyrightable. The garment itself is not.
A slogan printed large across the chest is "ornamental" and will usually be refused trademark registration.
A small logo at the chest or on a label is the placement that reads as a brand.

The short answer

Copyright protects the design you printed. Trademark protects your brand — but only if the design is used as a brand rather than as decoration.

What copyright covers

The graphic on the shirt is a pictorial work, protected automatically on creation. Following Star Athletica v. Varsity Brands (2017), artwork applied to a garment remains copyrightable because it can be perceived separately as art.

The garment is a useful article and is not protected. Its cut, fit and construction are outside copyright entirely, which is why fashion has so little protection in the US.

Not protected either: short phrases and single words, which fall under the 37 CFR 202.1(a) exclusion. A shirt reading a bare slogan in a plain font has no copyright in the text. Set that phrase in original lettering or combine it with original artwork and the artwork is protectable — but the words themselves remain free.

Registration is roughly $45–$65, and group registration options exist for designers producing collections, which matters for print-on-demand sellers with large catalogues.

The ornamental refusal

This is the specific rule that surprises T-shirt sellers.

The USPTO refuses registration for matter that is merely ornamental — decoration rather than an indicator of source. A slogan printed large across the front of a shirt is typically ornamental, because consumers read it as the product's design, not as a badge telling them who made it.

What is not ornamental:

A small logo at the left chest, the traditional brand placement
A neck label or hangtag
Use of the mark on packaging or in advertising

So the practical route for an apparel brand is to register the mark as used on labels and small placements, and treat the big front print as copyrightable artwork rather than as a trademark.

Ornamental matter can sometimes be registered on a showing of acquired distinctiveness, or where the design is already a registered mark used on other goods.

Side by side

	Copyright	Trademark
Printed artwork	Yes	Only if used as a brand
A short slogan	No	Only if not ornamental
Original lettering of a slogan	Yes, as artwork	Rarely
The garment's cut	No	Only as trade dress, rarely
Small chest logo	Yes, if artistic	Yes
Neck label	Yes, if artistic	Yes
Duration	Life + 70, or 95 years	Indefinite with use
Registration	~$45–$65	$350 per class, class 25

Practical route for a clothing brand

Register the brand mark as used on labels and small placements, in class 25.
Register copyright in the artwork, in batches if you produce volume.
Do not try to register a front-print slogan as a trademark — expect an ornamental refusal and a non-refundable fee.
Clear the phrases you print. Somebody else's registered mark on your shirt is the risk running the other way.

Where a timestamp fits

Print-on-demand is a high-volume, heavily copied market where designs are lifted within days of going live, and registering each one is not economic.

Timestamping designs at creation, before they are uploaded to any marketplace, gives a dated record for a catalogue where per-design registration is impractical. Marketplace takedown processes generally want evidence you own the design, and a dated record predating the copy is useful supporting material.

It proves the file existed unchanged on a date. It is not registration — and if a design matters enough to sue over, registration is what unlocks statutory damages in the US. See how to timestamp a photo for the same workflow applied to image files.

US law. This is general information, not legal advice.

Trademark vs copyright for a T-shirt design