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Trademark Search: How to Search Trademark Names in India?

Updated on: 24 Sep, 2024 11:47 AM

A trademark is an intellectual property that differentiates a product or brand from similar or different products. A trademark gives a company exclusive rights and ownership over the brands or products. A trademark can be a word, insignia, symbol, or phrase. Product names, nicknames, sounds, business names, slogans, color schemes, logos, and smells can all be trademarked.

A trademark search is a crucial step in adopting or registering a trademark. It helps businesses and individuals avoid legal conflicts and ensures their brand name is unique.

In India, a public trademark search in the Trademark Registry database checks if a proposed mark is available for specific goods or services. It examines similar and phonetically similar names in the same class. After registration, trademark licensing and assignment can further enhance business growth.


Considerations for Conducting a Trademark Search Availability

  • Trademark Classification: Use a Classification system, which categorizes goods and services into 45 classes, to identify the relevant class for your trademark.
  • Knock-out Search: Conduct a preliminary search in the trademark registry to find identical or similar trademarks in the relevant class. This helps spot potential conflicts early.
  • Clearance Search: Perform a comprehensive search including database, common law, market surveys, and internet checks. This thorough search ensures the trademark is unique and doesn't infringe on existing trademarks.
  • INN Search: For pharmaceutical and healthcare trademarks, check the World Health Organization's International Nonproprietary Name (INN) database to avoid similarity with recognized INNs.

This streamlined approach ensures thorough examination and minimizes the risk of conflicts with existing trademarks.


Here are the reasons why you should conduct a trademark search in India before registering a trademark.

  • It's better to be safe and conduct a trademark search in India before registering for it, as it will help prevent any infringement of the applicable laws. You can check for the available trademarks and decide on the best one.
  • It helps you check if the trademark that you want to register is available and avoids any duplicity or similarity with other registered trademarks.
  • It helps ensure that the trademark is unique and also classified properly.
  • Trademark public search helps avoid all possible conflicts.

What is a Trademark Search Database?

A trademark database is a collection of all the trademarks filed by different parties in India. All the registered trademarks are listed on the website of the controller of general patent designs and trademarks. It also consists of all the trademarks applied, registered, rejected, and expired trademarks.


Importance of Trademark Search in India

You’ve likely heard the general saying, Precaution is better than cure,' and this holds especially true for trademark registration in India. It's important to search and register your trademark before it’s too late or someone else copies it and secures the rights before you do. Here is how trademark search is important in India:

  • A trademark search in India can help prevent costly legal disputes that arise from infringing on another company's trademark.
  • Infringement can damage your brand's reputation and erode customer trust.
  • Investing in a trademark search can save you significant time and money in the long run by avoiding costly legal battles.
  • A trademark search can help you identify potential issues that could lead to your application being rejected by the Indian Trade Marks Registry.
  • A successful trademark search can help you register your mark more efficiently.

Before you move ahead and conduct your trademark search, here are some important terms you must know.

  • Class Details - This section allows you to find the particular class that a product belongs to. The trademark search can be conducted in various languages.
  • Well-known marks - This section consists of a list of all the well-known trademarks.
  • Prohibited marks - It is a list of all the prohibited marks. If you use any of these marks, your application can be rejected. Some examples are - National, Mahatma Gandhi, ISO, etc.
  • Vienna Code classification - The Vienna Code is an international standard classification that classifies pictorial trademarks into 29 broad categories. If your trademark has a logo or image in it, you can conduct a trademark search in India using the Vienna code.

You can follow the below-mentioned steps to conduct a trademark public search -

  • Step 1. Visit the trademark search India’s online website to search for the applied and registered trademarks.
  • Step 2. Select the search criteria from the drop-down menu. Select either wordmark, Vienna code, or phonetic.
  • Step 3. Now choose the level of match you want to search for from the options ‘start with,’ ‘contains,’ or ‘matches.’ For example, if you select ‘matches,’ the search result will show only those trademark names that match exactly with the entered wordmark.
  • Step 4. After choosing the wordmark criteria, select the trademark class per the given classification.
  • Step 5. Click on ‘search’ to display the results of the trademark search. Once you see the trademark search results, you can analyze them and select the available trademarks.

What are the Documents Required to Conduct Trademark Public Research?

You need to submit certain documents to search for a trademark. Given below is a list of documents required for trademark search.

  • Aadhaar Card
  • PAN Card
  • Incorporation Certificate
  • Partnership Deed
  • Form-48 Signed
  • Logo
  • MSME Certificate

What are the Various Trademark Classes?

Given below are the 45 categories under which types of trademarks are classified.

Class Description
Class 1 Chemicals used in photography, agriculture, industry, science, horticulture, and forestry; chemicals for preserving food, unprocessed plastics
Class 2 Paints; varnishes; preservatives used for rust and wood; colorants; metals in powder and foil; printers and artists; decorators
Class 3 Bleaching and other things for laundry; cleaning; polishing; soaps; abrasive preparations; perfumery, cosmetics, hair lotions; essential oils
Class 4 Industrial oils and greases; dust absorbing; lubricants; fuels (including motor spirit) and illuminants; wetting and binding compositions; candles, wicks
Class 5 Pharmaceutical, veterinary, and sanitary products; diet products for medical use; baby food; fungicides, herbicides; disinfectants
Class 6 Common metals and their alloys; small items of metal hardware; metal building materials; Metal products not included in other classes; pipes and tubes of metal
Class 7 Machines and machine tools; transmission components; agricultural implements except those operated by hand; incubators for eggs
Class 8 Hand tools and implements (hand-operated); side arms; razors; cutlery
Class 9 Scientific, electric apparatus for recording, photographic, measuring, transmission, or production of sound and image; computers and data processing equipment
Class 10 Surgical, medical, dental, and artificial limbs; veterinary apparatus and instruments; eyes and teeth; suture materials; orthopedic articles
Class 11 Apparatus for lighting, steam generating, cooking, heating, refrigerating, water supply, sanitary purposes, drying, ventilating
Class 12 Vehicles; apparatus for transport by land, water, or air
Class 13 Firearms; explosives; fireworks; ammunition and projectiles
Class 14 Precious metals and alloys and products made of precious metals; jewelry, horological and chronometric instruments; precious stones
Class 15 Musical instruments
Class 16 Paper, cardboard; stationery; brushes; printed matter; typewriters; plastic materials for packaging; and office requisites
Class 17 Rubber, asbestos, mica; plastics in extruded form used in manufacturing; stopping and insulating materials; packing, flexible pipes
Class 18 Leather and its imitations; animal skins, hides, traveling bags; trunks, umbrellas, walking sticks; and parasols whips, harnesses, and saddlery
Class 19 Non-metallic rigid pipes for building; building materials, (non-metallic), non-metallic transportable buildings; asphalt, pitch, and bitumen; monuments, not of metal
Class 20 Goods of wood, cork, reed; furniture, mirrors, picture frames; cane, whalebone, shell, amber, mother-of-pearl, wicker, horn, bone, ivory; plastics
Class 21 Household or kitchen utensils; articles for cleaning purposes; combs and sponges; glassware and earthenware; unworked or semi-worked glass
Class 22 tarpaulins, sails, sacks and bags, ropes, string, nets, tents, awnings, padding, and stuffing materials; raw fibrous textile materials
Class 23 Yarns and threads used for textile
Class 24 Textiles and textile goods, bed and table covers; not included in other classes
Class 25 Clothing, footwear, headgear
Class 26 Ribbons and braid; lace and embroidery, buttons, hooks and eyes, artificial flowers; pins and needles
Class 27 Carpets, rugs, mats, linoleum, and other materials; wall hangings(non-textile)
Class 28 Games and playthings, gymnastics and sporting articles not covered in others, and decorations for Christmas trees.
Class 29 Meat extracts; meat, fish, poultry, and game; preserved vegetables, dried and cooked fruits; milk and milk products; jams, fruit sauces; edible oils and fats; eggs
Class 30 Rice, tapioca, sago; coffee, tea, cocoa, sugar, bread, confectionery, and pastry ices; baking powder; honey, treacle; vinegar; spices; ice; yeast, salt, mustard;
Class 31 Forestry products and grains and agricultural, horticultural live animals; seeds, natural plants, and flowers; fresh fruits and vegetables; foodstuffs for animals, malt
Class 32 Non-alcoholic drinks; beers, mineral and aerated waters, syrups and other preparations; fruit drinks and fruit juices
Class 33 Alcoholic beverages(except beers)
Class 34 Tobacco, smokers' articles, matches
Class 35 Business administration, office functions, advertising, business management,
Class 36 Monetary affairs, insurance, financial affairs, real estate affairs.
Class 37 Building construction, installation, and repair.
Class 38 Telecommunications.
Class 39 Transport; travel arrangement; packaging and storage
Class 40 Treatment of materials.
Class 41 Education; entertainment; providing of training; sporting and cultural activities.
Class 42 Scientific, industrial analysis and research services; design and technological services; designing and development of computer software and hardware.
Class 43 Food and drink and services; temporary accommodation.
Class 44 Veterinary services, medical services, hygienic and beauty care, agriculture, forestry, and horticulture services.
Class 45 Legal services; security services for protecting individuals and property; personal and social services.

While using online tools for a trademark search can be useful, it may not always be enough, particularly for complex cases. In such instances, it's wise to consult a expert for a thorough and reliable assessment. You can get an eCA to assist you in getting a registered trademark.


FAQs on Trademark Search

Q- Can I register a name, logo, and tagline under only one application?

No, You can not register your brand name, logo, and tagline using one application, as the registrar needs separate applications to be presented for registering your brand name, logo, and tagline.


Q- Can I apply for trademark registration by myself?

You can apply online or offline for trademark registration yourself, but registering a trademark is a complex and tidy process that doesn't conclude solely with filing the application. Filing it with a professional can help minimize the risk of rejection and ensure a smoother experience.


Q- How to check if a trademark is registered?

To check if a trademark is already registered and avoid duplication, you have to visit the official website of Trademark Search India. You can enter the required details and search for the applied trademark requests.


Q- Who is eligible for getting a registered trademark?

Any individual or a person who wants to get exclusive rights to a product, service, name, or design is eligible to conduct a trademark search and get a registered trademark.


Q- How long is a trademark valid?

A trademark is valid for as long as 10 years from the date of applying for it. However, you can get your registered trademark renewed after the completion of 10 years.


Q- How many types of trademarks are there, and why is a trademark search important?

As per the Trademark Act of 1999, there are seven types of trademarks. The trademark search protects you from legal complications by finding a unique word, symbol, logo, or design for your product or brand.


CA Abhishek Soni
CA Abhishek Soni

Abhishek Soni is a Chartered Accountant by profession & entrepreneur by passion. He is the co-founder & CEO of Tax2Win.in. Tax2win is amongst the top 25 emerging startups of Asia and authorized ERI by the Income Tax Department. In the past, he worked in EY and comes with wide industry experience from telecom, retail to manufacturing to entertainment where he has handled various national and international assignments.