Why you should Consider an Online Trademark Search

Introduction

Trademarks are used to distinguish a business and its goods or services from those of competitors. A trademark can be any word, name, symbol, or device that identifies goods or services and distinguishes them from the goods or services of others. This includes logos and slogans as well as product names. Trademarks can be registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

Conducting a Trademark Online Search is Important (and free)

An online trademark search is a valuable tool for both the casual user and the business owner. Conducting an online search allows you to find out whether or not your chosen name is already being used by someone else, and if it’s unique enough that you can use it as yours.

A free online trademark search can be made through the USPTO’s website at (https://tmsearch.uspto.gov/). The site will give you results for any names that are deemed similar to yours in one of several categories: words identical to those in your proposed name; phonetically similar words; phrases semantically related to those in your proposed name; and phrases semantically unrelated but phonetically identical or similar to ones found within your proposed name.

Know What you want to Call your Business

Conducting a trademark online search is the best way to ensure that you are not infringing on the rights of another business by using a similar name or logo. The first step in this process involves conducting your own search to see if any similar words or phrases have already been claimed as trademarks. You can do this by entering your proposed business name into Google’s search engine or visiting the USPTO website and entering your term there.

You should also run a second search using “search for similar” tools like Trademarkia and Clear Trademarks, which will allow you to see what other names businesses have registered with those same keywords included in their brands. This is important because it allows you to protect yourself against potential legal issues down the line, such as someone claiming that their brand has been damaged due to confusion over two brand names sounding too much alike (e.g., Coca-Cola vs Coke).

Takeaway

When you’re ready to register your trademark, conducting an online search is one of the most important steps. With so many different marks in use and so many variations on how names are spelled and pronounced—not to mention all the different typefaces and languages—it is vital that you conduct a thorough search before seeking registration.

A trademark search will help you find out if another party has already registered or applied for a similar mark, which may result in having your application rejected by the government if that mark is found. This can save time and money because once a trademark application has been filed with U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP) or with other foreign agencies, it can take up to two years for their approval process to be completed, whereas conducting this step prior to filing would have allowed us time to address any issues before moving forward with our application(s).

Conclusion

Conducting a good trademark online search is one of the most important steps in registering your trademark. It’s also one of the least expensive. You can conduct an online search for free using either Google or Yahoo, but if you want to make sure that there aren’t any other trademarks out there with similar names, then you’ll need to hire an attorney (or at least consult one). This is especially important if you are looking to register a trademark that’s already been used by another company.