No matter whether you want to ascertain distinctiveness, or want to analyze potential infringement disputes of a brand name, trademark search is something that is needed at most. With plenty of trademark search databases available online it becomes very difficult for individuals and searchers to find the best trademark search database. This is an article that will list some of the most important trademark search databases to help searcher find the best result in their trademark search initiative.
With this write-up, we have outlined some of the most important trademark databases that are used widely these days to do an effective trademark search.
TMview: TMview is one of the most important trademark databases widely used to retrieve trade related data for European Union. With this database TM search professionals can get data for 17 different trademark offices (Bulgaria, Benelux, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, France, the UK, Italy, Lithuania, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Finland and Latvia).
The main objective of TMview is to integrate all data from the 27 European Union member states (in addition to those from OHIM and WIPO) so that trademark search professionals can find all data in a centralized place. The Global Brand database goes far beyond in term of search options, as well as daily updates of international trademarks.
CIPO (Canadian Intellectual Property Office): The Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) is the patent, trademark, and copyright administration body of Canada. This patent office operates as a Special Operating Agency which is associated with Innovation, Science and Economic Development in Canada. The on-line patent database of CIPO is searchable from 1869 but full details are only available from 1978. The agency is also responsible for administration of industrial designs and integrated circuit topographies. The Plant Breeders’ Right’s Act is administered by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency
World Databases: International or trademark data of the whole world can be searched in databases like Romarin and Global Brand database of WIPO. The trademark search database ROMARIN allows people to search trademarks with the opportunity to mix search criteria as well as to define what kind of trademark is searched (in force, no longer in force or applications being processed).
National Databases
USPTO Trademark Search Database: Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS) brought to the people by USPTO is a trademark search engine that allows searcher to search the USPTO’s database of registered trademarks and prior pending applications to find marks that may prevent registration due to a likelihood of confusion refusal.
INTA’s Country Portal: The International Trademark Association (INTA) is the global association of trademark owners and professionals dedicated to supporting trademarks and related intellectual property in order to protect consumers and to promote fair and effective commerce.
Internet Search Engines: Though search engines like Google, Yahoo and MSN are not specialized for patents and trademark searches, still, sometimes it can do wonders for TMReady because there are cases when a trademark is not registered but still companies can be held liable for infringing a mark if someone is already using it without notifying the respective Government. These data are generally not found in specialized database but can be retrieved by search engines like Google, Bing and Yahoo.
Searching Community Trademarks
Community trademark applications as well as granted community trademarks can be searched on the website of the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM). This is the organization which is in-charge of the community trademark and we can search various trade related data by using the CTM-ONLINE tool.
All we can say that doing a trademark search can be a fun provided; you are acquainted with all the norms and databases. With the above-mentioned trademark search databases, we are sure your search will be worthy and comprehensive.
