How can I find out if a trademark exists?

[DaniilKharms]

I have just registered a domain name and wish to find out if it is trademarked, wher can I find this info out?

Also if it hasn't been trademarked yet, can they get the domain from once they trademark it.

 

[RON2]

Go here and search
http://www.uspto.gov/main/trademarks.htm

 

[consumernet]

a

 

[GeorgeKGeorgeK is verified member.]

Those will give you registered trademarks. However, a mark doesn't need to be registered to have trademark status, as the lawyers in this forum have mentioned in the past.

 

[David G]

The link to the US TM Office is hard to remember.

 

[pljones]

George K,

You're right about common law marks. But it never hurts to check the PTO Database at the links suggested above for federal registrations. Also keep in mind that TESS is not always current, so while it may appear that a potential mark is clear, an application could have been filed but not yet entered into the system.

Another plug for Martin Schwimmer's Trademark.blog Metasearch- it's free and searches in much the same way as T&T's SAEGIS (which costs $$).

 

[adoptabledomains]

nameprotect.com has a pretty good search as well, and easier to use than the uspto.gov site.

 

[jberryhilljberryhill is verified member.]

You know, one of the best ways of determining whether a given term has a strong distinctive association with a particular source of goods and services is simply to use Google. If you take a term, google it, and a fair number of the results are references to a particular source of goods and services, then you have a pretty good indication.

 

[edisaacson]

I would forget that Schwimmer search. I have to do thousands of searches a year and I have already found glaring errors.

 

[Gomains]

I've always used www.marksonline.com

 

[Whois-Search]

Wait till they file papers LOL