Enter your chosen name into a trademark database, search similar variations, and review the status, territory and specific goods or services of relevant results. That is the basis of an initial search. If you stop at exact matches and the number of results, you may miss a sign that needs closer assessment.

The following process helps you gather information before commissioning a logo, launching a website or filing your own trademark application. You will know what you searched, what you found and what question to take to a specialist if needed.

1. Write down the name, offering and planned markets

Before opening a database, record three things:

  • The sign you want to use. The full name and its distinctive part. If you add a generic word such as “studio” or “service”, plan to search without it too.
  • Specific goods and services. What will you sell or provide under the name? “An online business” is too vague. Describe the offering so that someone outside your industry can understand it.
  • The markets you intend to enter. Start with your current plan and add expansion you are genuinely preparing.

For illustration, we will use the name Větvona for a brand of home-growing equipment. The offering would include plant pots and plant supports, followed later by educational workshops in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

This example is fictional. We have not checked the name, and the article does not report actual database findings. It demonstrates how to prepare a search and record the results.

For Větvona, we would describe the products and planned workshops separately. One broad industry label would not help us distinguish which other records resemble our offering.

If you are unsure why you need to consider registers and domains alongside trademarks, read about the difference between a business name, brand, domain and trademark. Here, we focus on trademark searching.

2. Choose databases according to territory

For an initial Czech search: the Industrial Property Office database

Start with the trademark database page of the Czech Industrial Property Office (ÚPV), which links to the search tool. It contains applications filed with ÚPV, EUIPO marks and WIPO records designating the Czech Republic and the EU. Do not therefore limit your choice of sources to Czech national applications alone.

Be careful with the “List of goods and services” filter (“Seznam výrobků a služeb”): according to ÚPV, it uses only ÚPV data. Restricting your search by this criterion will not search all included foreign records in the same way. Search for the sign first, then examine goods or services in the relevant record details.

For a broader search: TMview

For other markets, also use TMview, linked from EUIPO's guidance on checking trademark availability. Searching is free and covers applications and registrations from EU member states' offices, EUIPO and many other offices.

Distinguish the office maintaining a record from the territory of protection. A result from a foreign office does not by itself mean that the sign is protected in every country where you want to do business. Determine the actual scope of each finding.

For further searches in international sources, ÚPV's application guidance also lists WIPO's Madrid Monitor and Global Brand Database. Choose additional sources according to your planned market; a broad results list does not replace checking territorial relevance.

3. Search the exact name and its variations

Keep your first query simple: the full sign without unnecessary filters. Then broaden the search. Record the query and any restrictions for each attempt.

For our illustrative Větvona, a working list might look like this:

  1. Větvona: the intended spelling.
  2. Vetvona: the version without diacritics.
  3. Větvona studio / Vetvona studio: if we also intend to use a longer sign.
  4. The distinctive word stem: search part of the name using the particular database's options.
  5. Similar-sounding spellings: variations suggested by pronunciation or earlier findings.

This is a working approach, not a universal list of every necessary query. For a two-word name, searching the words separately and together may make sense. For a foreign word, consider how a Czech customer might write it after hearing it.

Do not search only marks categorised as word marks. The name may also appear in a sign containing graphic elements. For an initial name check, examine its verbal element too; searching the graphic motif itself is a separate task.

If you find no exact match, continue with similar signs. EUIPO's guidance also highlights possible conflicts between similar signs for similar goods. Adding one letter cannot by itself be treated as a solution.

4. Open the details of a finding

The results list helps you select records to review more closely. For an identical or similar sign, save the link and read at least the following information.

Wording and appearance of the sign

Check the entire sign and any image. Note how it resembles your candidate: spelling, pronunciation, meaning or a distinctive part. “Same beginning and similar pronunciation” is more useful for further assessment than simply “probably a problem”.

Status and dates

Distinguish an application from a registered mark. Record the status exactly as the source states it, along with available filing or priority dates. If the status is unclear, flag it for verification.

For an expired or refused record, save the reason if available. Do not automatically conclude that you can adopt the name without further work: you still need to review other findings and actual use of the sign.

Territory

Determine the territory for which the application or protection is relevant. For our example, consider both the Czech Republic and Slovakia. If you cannot understand the detail, that becomes a specific question for further verification.

Goods and services

Read the actual list, not just class numbers. ÚPV explains that trademarks are registered for particular goods and services; the Nice Classification and TMclass database help classify them. Links are provided in question 29 of ÚPV's FAQ.

For Větvona, we would note whether the sign covers relevant growing products or educational services. We would not finish the assessment simply by checking whether it has the same class number. Numbers help you navigate; a legal conclusion requires assessment of the specific signs and offerings.

Owner or applicant

Save the owner's or applicant's name. It helps find related records and prepare a consultation. The company's size or prominence alone does not determine whether its rights are relevant to your name.

5. Produce a record you can return to

Instead of a single note saying “name available”, prepare the following record for each candidate:

Candidate: Větvona Planned offering and territory: specific products, workshops; Czech Republic and Slovakia Search date: enter the actual date Sources: databases used Queries and filters: exact spellings and search restrictions Relevant findings: record numbers, links, status, territory and goods/services Uncertainties: information you could not find or do not understand Next step: extend the search, refer a finding to a specialist, or look for another option

This is an unfilled working template, not a result of checking Větvona. You can keep the record in a document or spreadsheet. Preserve searches with no findings too: without their queries and filters, you will not later know what those results meant.

Separate three situations in your own work:

  • No relevant finding in the search performed: keep the sources and scope. Do not present the result as a complete legal clearance.
  • A similar sign requiring assessment: save the details and a specific question. Resolve the concern before investing in the brand.
  • An incomplete check: state which source or information is missing and fill the gap. A database outage is not a “nothing found” result.

Check the results again before your final decision, especially if some time has passed since the initial search.

6. When to refer the search to a specialist

A consultation makes sense if you find a similar sign for a related offering, cannot assess territory or status, or intend to invest in a substantial project under the name. Give a patent attorney or lawyer specialising in trademarks the name, description of your offering, planned markets and saved findings.

Ask a specific question: “We found this sign for these products. What risk does it pose to our planned offering?” That is more precise than a general request to confirm that a name is available.

You can also commission a search from ÚPV. However, the office expressly states that its informational search does not provide an opinion on registrability or the risks of filing an application. Its scope is described in the ÚPV search service rules. When commissioning a service, establish whether you will receive a list of findings, their legal assessment, or both.

If you want to apply for your own sign after resolving the findings, continue with trademark registration: from the search to registration.

If the search raises a problem with your favourite, return to the other suggestions. The process for naming a business and choosing the finalists can help. Simply changing the domain or adding a generic word may not resolve similarity between signs.

For an initial overview, you can check a candidate on OverNazev.cz. Look at the source, scope and completion status of automated results. Then complete the trademark search according to your offering and the markets where you intend to use the name.