Written by Jan Buza
Co-founder of Trama
Trademark watch services use a combination of automated scanning and similarity algorithms to identify potentially conflicting applications in IP office databases.
For text-based marks, the search typically covers identical names, phonetic matches (marks that sound similar when spoken), grammatical variations (plurals, prefixes, suffixes, abbreviations), misspellings, and in some services translations of the mark into other languages.
For figurative marks, image search algorithms assess visual similarity based on the mark's graphical elements, often using the Vienna Classification to categorize figurative elements for comparison.
Class and goods/services overlap is also typically considered: a confusingly similar mark in an unrelated class may be filtered out or ranked lower in the results, since it poses a lower opposition risk.
How will I know if a someone's applying for a trademark similar to mine?
When is the ideal time to set up a trademark monitoring service?
If a trademark monitoring service discovers infringement, what happens next?
What does it mean if a trademark is 'published for oppositions'?
If I own a trademark and someone copies my brand, what are my options?
Our team of experienced trademark attorneys is here to help you! Simply send us an email outlining your request and we'll be happy to assist you.
