The short version: you can run a free trademark search on the official databases themselves. Use the USPTO Trademark Search system for the US, the Intellectual Property Office search on GOV.UK for the UK, and WIPO's Global Brand Database or TMview to check other countries. None of them asks you to hire anyone just to look.
It's easy to fall in love with a name, print the cards, build the website and only then discover someone else owns it. A quick search on the right database would have saved all of that. The good news is that the official registers are open to everyone, and you don't need an account to start.
Where to search trademarks for free
In no particular order, each one best for a different job:
- USPTO Trademark Search: best for checking federally registered and pending marks in the United States.
- UK IPO search on GOV.UK: best for checking whether a similar mark already exists in the UK.
- WIPO Global Brand Database: best for a wide first sweep across national and international collections.
- TMview: best for checking EU national offices, the EUIPO and partner offices outside the EU in one place.
The official trademark databases side by side
| Database | Covers | Ways to search |
|---|---|---|
| USPTO Trademark Search | US registered and pending marks | Word marks, design search codes and field tags |
| UK IPO (GOV.UK) | UK trade marks | Number, owner, keyword, phrase or image |
| WIPO Global Brand Database | National and international collections | Keywords, names, numbers, goods and services, image similarity |
| TMview | 143,684,935 trade marks when I checked | Territory, office and class filters |
How each free search works
The USPTO's current Trademark Search system went live in November 2023 and the office still publishes a handout for people moving across from the old TESS tool. It suggests logging in to your USPTO.gov account before you search, because signed in users avoid errors when the system is handling heavy traffic. You'll also find a getting started handout, a design search code manual for logos and recorded webinars if you want a walkthrough.
On GOV.UK you can search by trade mark number, by owner, or by keyword, phrase or image. There's a separate Article 6ter database for flags, emblems and hallmarks, and Jersey and Guernsey keep their own registers. If you want to see what's just been accepted, the trade marks journal lists UK applications accepted in the last week.
WIPO's Global Brand Database lets you combine keywords, names, numbers, goods and services and image similarity in one search. WIPO itself says it may be prudent to also search the registers of national and regional offices, so treat it as the wide net rather than the final word. TMview pulls together marks from EU national offices, the EUIPO and several partner offices, and you can pick territories, offices and classes to narrow it down.
One more tool worth knowing about is the USPTO's Trademark ID Manual, which it lists alongside the search system. It helps you find the right wording and class for your goods or services, which makes your similar-mark search far more accurate because you're comparing like with like.
The search step most people skip
Here's the catch. Typing your exact name into one box isn't a clearance search. The USPTO says you should look for marks that are confusingly similar to yours when they're used with goods or services that are the same as or related to yours. So search for close variations of your name, not just the exact word.
It also recommends checking for common law use. In the US, someone who's been using a name in commerce for related goods or services can have rights even without a federal registration, and earlier use can affect your own registration. That's why the USPTO's list of places to check goes well beyond its own database, including state trademark and business registries, domain name registries, the weekly Trademark Official Gazette, Madrid Monitor for international registrations and a plain internet search.
Skipping this part is how people end up with a refusal, an opposition or an infringement claim after they've already launched.
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How to run a free trademark search, step by step
- Write down your name, any shortened version and the main goods or services you'll offer under it.
- Search the official register for your main market first: USPTO for the US, GOV.UK for the UK.
- Search again for similar spellings, sounds and meanings, not just the exact word.
- Filter by the classes that match your goods or services and note any close hits and their owners.
- Widen out with WIPO's Global Brand Database and TMview if you'll trade abroad.
- Finish with a search engine and the domain and social handles to spot unregistered use.
Before you fall in love with a name
If you're still brainstorming, my ChatGPT prompts for business names will give you a long list to test, and it's far easier to drop a name at list stage than after launch. If you're about to go out on your own, it's also worth reading what to consider before becoming self-employed before you register anything.
A free search tells you what's already out there. It doesn't give you legal advice, so if a close match turns up for the same kind of product, that's the moment to talk to a qualified trade mark attorney.
My verdict: start with the official register for your country, search for similar names as well as your exact one, then widen out with WIPO and TMview. It's free, it's quick, and it's far less painful than a rebrand.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I do a free trademark search?
Use the USPTO Trademark Search system for the US, the trade mark search on GOV.UK for the UK, and WIPO's Global Brand Database or TMview for other countries.
Did the USPTO replace TESS?
Yes. The USPTO's Trademark Search system went live in November 2023, and the office publishes a handout for people transitioning from TESS.
Is searching my exact business name enough?
No. The USPTO says to search for marks that are confusingly similar when used with the same or related goods or services, and to check for common law use as well.
How do I search UK trade marks?
On GOV.UK you can search by trade mark number, by owner, or by keyword, phrase or image.
Does WIPO cover every country's trademarks?
WIPO's Global Brand Database covers a number of large collections, but WIPO says it may be prudent to search national and regional registers too.
