Searching American Trademarks by Class: A Comprehensive Guide
trademarkclearance process before applying for registration to ensure that your trademark is available to register for your specific goods or services. Using the USPTO's searchable database will allow you to look up the correct trademark class for your goods or services, which we'll cover below.
Trademark Classes 101: Understanding the Basics
Trademarks are categorized using classes, with a total of 45 classes (IC) of goods and services. Each class can cover a wide range of goods or services, making the search process more efficient. This allows you to quickly find available trademarks for sale or for licensing by narrowing down available prospects based on class.
How to Search Trademarks by Class
For each trademark class, there is a description of the type of goods or services it covers. Editorial update: Each trademark class is assigned a number, ranging from Class 1 to Class 45, with classes 1-34 covering goods and classes 35-45 covering services. To start a trademark search using the USPTO's database:
- Visit the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) website and navigate to the Trademark Search page
- Enter your trademark information, such as name, number, or applicant, to search the database
- Use the class filter to narrow down your search to the specific class related to your goods or services
- Review the results to ensure your proposed trademark does not conflict with existing trademarks in the same class
