How to Search for Conflicting Trademarks
If you have a business or are starting one, registering your name, slogan and design is a smart way to protect your intellectual property. By trademarking the words and pictures associated with your business, you prevent others from using and capitalizing on your ideas. However, if any of the words or designs is already registered, your trademark application will be rejected.
- Visit the website of the United States trademark office at www.uspto.gov/trademarks. The United States Patent and Trademark Office is the office that keeps records of every registered trademark, both words and designs.
- Click on “Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS)” along the left-hand side of the webpage. It is under the heading “Tools.”
- Choose “Basic Work Mark Search” to search for names, nicknames, slogans and sayings that are already registered. If you are not looking for a design trademark, skip to step number seven.
- Click on “Design Search Code Manual” instead of the basic search if you would like to search for a design. The manual of the codes used to store different kinds of design styles will pull up.
- Follow the links in the manual to determine the code for the specific style of design you are searching for. For example, a four-point star is assigned a different code than a five-point star. Take note of the code for the design, as this is what you will use to search for matching pictures.
- Navigate back to the search page from step number three if you searched for a design code. This time, click on “Word and Design Mark Search” to look for both words and designs.
- Type in your desired search terms into the appropriate text fields. This is where to enter the design code if you looked one up. Limit any other search options, such as plural or singular, if desired. If unsure, leave all the options at default. Click “Submit Query.”
- Scroll down to look through the list of results. Look for conflicting trademarks that are a close approximation to your desired trademark. If it is listed, the trademark is already taken and you will not be able to register it for yourself.