Trademarks are expressions that distinguish your products and services from those of others. An example would be a brand name, a logo, a slogan, a sound, or even a smell. It is important to register your trademark to ensure that only you have all commercial rights to it.
Due to the rapid increase of business registrations over the last decade, entrepreneurs should conduct a trademark search as soon as possible to ensure that their consumers are remembering them by the name of their business that isn’t used by anyone else in India – or, for that matter, by any business that’s likely to enter the country.
Without this step, you may end up having to change your brand name in the future, thereby confusing your customers. A trademark search is unavoidable for all companies to ensure the accuracy and legality of their trademarks. This ensures that your trademark is not being used by anyone else. In the end, make sure that your business or company has a unique trademark.
Let’s Run a Trademark Search
Are you choosing a name for your product or business? A trademark search is the first step, which is mandatory from the beginning. Run a trademark search to see if someone else is using the name you’ve chosen for your business. So, even before registering a trademark, you can confirm its trademark availability in the market and, thus, consider alternatives if you are copying someone else’s.
With Vakilsearch trademark search database, you can run a free search on all the latest information maintained by the Comptroller General of Patents, Designs, and Trademarks. When trademarks are searched professionally, they are precise and accurate. Results are satisfactory.
There are not only approved trademarks in the database, but also recent applications, those that have been opposed or objected to, and even expired trademarks. Therefore, you can have a comprehensive view of all trademarks available, registered, expired, or even pending.
It’s easy to run the search. Enter your brand name and select the class under which you wish to trademark it. There are 45 trademark classes in total, each covering an industry.
As an example, Class 5 covers all pharmaceutical products, while Class 29 covers meat, processed foods, and milk. Hit search after selecting the trademark class relevant to your brand.
You will be able to find out whether your trademark is available or already registered.
Trademark Search Specifications
- Use relevant details, such as prefixes or suffixes with the word. It is also useful to check the orthography
- You can search by phonetic sound or plural
- Search based on common legal research, including social media
- Coda search in Vienna
You can create a unique trademark for your company or business if you follow all the above-mentioned strategies.
Running a Trademark Search via IPIndia
The India website is used daily by thousands of consultants and agents to confirm whether a trademark has already been registered. To run a Trademark search, follow the steps below:
- Check out the official trademark search page on the Controller General’s Website
- You can then select ‘Starts With’ or ‘Contains’, as you see fit, before entering the word/s you wish to register.
Results of the Trademark Search
You will be able to determine whether your trademark is available based on the results. Changing your brand name may be necessary if there are many existing results (check to see if the existing results are approved or expired).
You should also check for phonetic similarities with other registered names if your name is not taken. This can be done by selecting the dropdown at the top of the page (ignore Vienna Code). You can say with certainty that your trademark will be approved if there are no relevant matches in the phonetic search.
When your brand name is still available after running a phonetic search, you can begin the registration process immediately.
Trademark Unavailable
Trademarks can be registered in different classes. For a detailed description of the classes under which the trademarks are registered, select the dropdown menu ‘Class Details’.
Check which class the brand name (trademark) you picked for your business has already been registered under if it is already registered by someone else. It is still likely that your application will be approved even if the class is different from yours. It will not be possible if the other business is very well known. As an example, you cannot register the brand name McDonald’s or Fiat even if you won’t be involved in fast-food or automobiles. It will be rejected. Under the table below, you will be able to see if the trademark you choose is already taken, in addition to the serial number and the picture.
If you still have low chances, you might want to consider a logo composite mark. A brand name would be registered within a logo. This is not an ideal solution, but if it is sufficiently different from the mark it already clashes with, it should pass with no trouble. The best way to prevent flaws is to seek advice from a professional when getting your trademarks.
Read More:
Trademark Search Online in India