Why do a trademark search?

Can you register a trademark for your business, product or logo?
Do you know if your unregistered mark is confusingly similar with an existing registered mark?
For any business, these are all highly important questions. Trademark searches are designed to help answer some of these questions and keep businesses out of costly litigation. Lowry Blixseth offers several different base trademark searches described below. Contact us for a specialized trademark search.

Standard Trademark Search

The Standard Trademark Search includes searching the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS) for pending and registered marks similar to the your mark. The search is designed to quickly and cost effectively identify exact matches, similar variants in spelling and meaning, and phonetic equivalents that may affect your use of the mark or the potential for registering your mark with the USPTO. Once completed, we provide an analysis of any confusingly similar marks found during the searching process.

Extensive Trademark Search

The Extensive Trademark Search expands upon the Standard Trademark Search by additionally searching for the same or confusingly similar Internet Domain Names, searching select State Trademark Databases**, and searching for common law products and business names that may affect your ability to use a mark in commerce or register a trademark with the USPTO. The analysis reported is expanded to include our findings for these searches.

Combined Search & Application

The combination option is ideal for prospective clients who are interested in doing a trademark search before deciding whether to file for trademark protection with the USPTO. Here, we conduct an Extensive Trademark Search to determine whether there are any state** or federal pending trademark applications or registered trademarks, confusingly similar Internet Domain Names, or other common law products or business names that may affect your ability to register you mark with the USPTO. Once completed, we provide an analysis of the information uncovered during the search and provide an opinion on whether to continue through with the registration process. Clients then have the option whether to move forward with the filing of a trademark application or discontinue with the process.

^**Not all State trademark databases are currently searchable online.