Searches of registered trademarks are useful at all stages during the term of your trademark, and it is no wonder, therefore, that numerous online databases of registered trademarks have cropped up. Businesses can often feel lost amongst a smorgasbord of online databases. For ease, these databases can be split in two distinct groups: National IP Databases and Commercial Databases.

The majority of territories have their own national IP database run by the relevant IP office, containing information on all the trademarks registered within that territory. These databases are free to use. Alternatively, some commercial services offer online databases on which you can search for trademarks. However, businesses often encounter issues with using these tools to their full potential and end up making mistakes. It is for this reason that external trademark searching services have become increasingly popular.

Outsourcing your trademark searches to external service providers creates an optimal alternative to conducting these searches yourself, saving you both time, money… and responsibility, of course! Hiring external firms to conduct your necessary searches can save you a significant amount of time, as conducting these searches yourself may detract your attention from other important ongoing tasks. Moreover, trademark searches can be particularly challenging to non-professionals in their completion. Undertaking to complete these yourself could mean that a large proportion of your time is spent conducting these searches. An improperly conducted search could mean that your trademark is refused for registration, is laterally revoked, or may have its exclusivity impugned.

All of this consequences are obviously accompanied by significant financial losses. Hiring external providers to conduct these searches, however, will mean that you can rest safe in the knowledge that your search is being conducted by professionals with years of experience and expertise.