July 13, 2026
Step-by-step · Search & clearance How to do a trademark clearance search A clearance search answers one question: is it safe to build a brand on this name? It goes beyond checking the USPTO database for a match. Here are the four stages, how to judge each result, and when a close call needs an attorney. By Bill, Business Growth Expert · Verified and checked on October 22, 2026 1Knockout searchExact and near matches in the USPTO database2Full database searchFederal and state registrations, pending and dead filings, spelling and sound variants3Common-law sweepWeb, marketplaces, app stores, social media, domains and business filings4Analysis and decisionWeigh each hit for likelihood of confusion, then go, change or stop Short answer A trademark clearance search checks whether you can use and register a name before you invest in it. Run it in four stages: a quick knockout search, a full search of federal and state records with variants, a sweep for unregistered users online, and an analysis of each hit using the USPTO’s likelihood-of-confusion factors. The result is a decision: go ahead, change the name, or stop. How is a clearance search different from a knockout search? Knockout search Clearance search Question it answers Is
Industry guide · Pet products & services How to trademark a pet brand Treats, collars, toys and grooming each sit in a different USPTO class. Here’s how to pick the right ones for what you sell, avoid names that just describe the product, and show proof the USPTO will accept. By Bill, Business Growth Expert · Verified and checked on October 24, 2026 Short answer File your pet brand in the class for what you sell: Class 31 for pet food and treats, Class 18 for collars, leashes and pet clothing, Class 28 for toys, or Class 44 for grooming. The USPTO fee is $350 per class. Start with your main product line and add classes as you expand. Avoid names that just describe the product, like “Healthy Paws Treats”. Which trademark classes cover pet products? Food & treats Pet food, treats, chews Class 31 Walk & wear Collars, leashes, harnesses, pet clothing Class 18 Play Pet toys Class 28 Home Pet beds (20), bowls and feeders (21) Class 20 / 21 Care Non-medicated shampoos (3), supplements and medicated products (5) Class 3 / 5 Services Grooming (44), boarding (43), training (41) Class 41 / 43 / 44 Pet brands
RE: Your trademark applicationTYPE: Office ActionRESPOND WITHIN: 3 months USPTO procedure guide How to respond to a USPTO Office Action An Office Action is a letter from the USPTO examining attorney listing problems with your application. Most can be fixed. Here is how to read one, what you can handle yourself, when you need a lawyer, and the deadlines that decide whether your application survives. By Bill, Business Growth Expert · Verified and checked on October 20, 2026 Short answer You have three months from the issue date to respond. You can buy one three-month extension for $125. Read every issue in the letter, answer each one in a single response using the USPTO’s online Response to Office Action form, and sign it yourself or have a licensed attorney sign it. Procedural issues, such as an unclear description or a required disclaimer, are often simple fixes. Substantive refusals, such as likelihood of confusion or descriptiveness, usually need a trademark attorney. If you say nothing, the application is abandoned. How long do you have to respond? 3 months The standard deadline, counted from the Office Action’s issue date (not the day you read it). +3 months One optional extension for $125,
Software & SaaS How to trademark a software company name Your incorporation papers reserve the name with one state. They don’t stop a competitor from shipping a product under it. Here’s how to protect the company name itself, and how it fits with your product names. By Bill, Business Growth Expert · Verified and checked against the USPTO ID Manual, TMEP and fee schedule, 17 Oct 2026 two_different_registrations.sh $ register –entity “Northwind Labs, Inc.” → State: name reserved for the corporation $ register –trademark “NORTHWIND” → USPTO: separate application, classes 9 and/or 42 Short answer To trademark a software company name, file it with the USPTO for the software you actually offer: Class 42 for software used online (SaaS), Class 9 for software customers download or install, or both. The government fee is $350 per class, and you can file before launch on an intent-to-use basis. Isn’t my company name already protected when I incorporate? No. Incorporating in Delaware or any other state puts your entity name on that state’s corporate register, mainly so two companies there don’t share the same legal name. It says nothing about who owns the brand in the market. A federal trademark is a separate