Free Trademark Search: Is it possible to search my trademark for free?

Yes and it is not really the only way to answer this question. While there are some great preliminary sites that anyone can access for free, that’s NOT a clear indication of what’s out there in terms of company names, service names, or product names.

Only a thorough investigation will tell you if a name is actually available.

Let’s take a look at some free and incomplete preliminary sites:

• The USPTO website: You will be able to search some of the federal trademark files on this site. What’s missing: State trademarks; Common law databases such as incorporation listings, DBA records, business directories, newspapers, product announcements, etc. What is missing: It does NOT perform smart searches (i.e. synonyms, spelling variations, word placement, etc.) unless you manually enter those variations
• Your Secretary of State website: Your state May have an online search database. What’s missing: Federal trademarks; All other state trademark lists; Common law databases What is missing: As long as your state has a searchable database, you want to make sure you check how often it is updated and if you search intelligently
• Yellow Pages: SuperPages allows users to search across the country. Just enter the company name and leave the other fields blank. What’s missing: Federal AND state trademarks; Common law databases What is missing: It does NOT perform smart searches (i.e. synonyms, spelling variations, word placement, etc.) unless you manually enter those variations

Take advantage of these free resources before hiring a lawyer or private company for a thorough search.

Yes, you can search for your business name for free, just know that it is not exhaustive!