Before paying the USPTO fees, you should do a quick search to see if your mark is already in use or registered by someone else. A search will help avoid obvious duplications of pre-existing marks. Our Basic Federal Direct-Hit Search is included. If there is a direct-hit search result for an existing or pending application we will let you know before any fees are paid to the USPTO so you can re-evaluate your mark choice or whether you want to move forward with the trademark process. If your company is just beginning, it’s better to make name changes now rather than invest years building a brand only to learn that you have to change the name and lose all of your goodwill.

For even more assurance, you may want to consider a more detailed search. While the basic free search covers the USPTO, it does not cover the 50 states, common law, domain names, international searches or include a detailed report. With more intel, you can make better choices. If you pick one of these options, you will still complete the application now. However, no application will be filed with the USPTO until you have had a chance to review any of the paid searches, approve the application in light of the searches or easily come back here and make some changes before your application is filed.