Trademark searches are vital for a business or organization to engage in. Trademark searches help you protect your business or organization’s name, logo, slogans, designs, and other forms of intellectual property. Identifying any infringement that is present in the marketplace is crucial to the longevity of your business or organization.
By engaging in a trademark search, businesses can discover valuable information about their industry and competitors. This can help them make sure they are not unknowingly infringing on someone else’s trademark, or find out if similar brands have been registered to keep them from infringing upon them.
Trademark searches uncover three categories of information. First, it shows if someone else is already using your name, logo, slogan, design, or intellectual property in a way that could impede your ability to use them in the future. Second, by learning about those who are already using a similar brand or name in the marketplace, you can gain useful insights as to how you should adjust your brand and what you can do differently for a competitive advantage. Lastly, trademark searches help you understand what your risks are and the potential costs of any claims that may later be brought against you.
Investigations – What I Need to Know
Trademark searches require thorough investigations—an investigation that you can either conduct yourself, hire a professional, or utilize a service provider for. The investigation should include both common law uses, which are uses of a trademark that predate registration, as well as the registered, pending, and prior trademarks associated with your name.
Common law searches investigate unregistered uses of marks and include a review of business name registration databases, domain name registrations, company names, and domain names as registered with the internet databases. This will provide you with an idea of the potential strength of any marks associated with a particular product or service.
Registered, pending, and prior trademark searches involve a search of the USPTO database, and a review of all trademark applications, renewals, and registrations associated with a particular brand or product. These searches provide you with a long-term view of the potential strength of your mark as it relates to any existing or potential competitors.
Trademark Search – Taking Action
After you have conducted the trademark search, it is important to take action to protect your business or organization’s name, logo, slogans, designs, and other forms of intellectual property. You can do this by filing a trademark application or registering the mark with the USPTO. If your trademark application is challenged by a third-party, or if someone has used your mark without your permission, you can file a lawsuit on grounds of trademark infringement.
Trademark searches are the foundation of successful brand and logo recognition. By doing a thorough investigation and taking the necessary steps to protect your assets, you will ensure that your business or organization is seen in the best light for years to come.