Learn the basics

The difference between a trademark and a business name, a copyright, or a patent — and why that difference decides whether a search like ours even applies to you.

Every trademark is registered in one or more of 45 numbered classes. Here’s what that actually means and why it changes what a search should look for.

The exact words you use to describe what you sell matter more than most applicants expect — and picking from USPTO’s own accepted list can save real money.

Proof that you’re actually using the mark in commerce, in a form USPTO will accept — what qualifies, what doesn’t, and the most common ways this trips people up.

Exactly what a knockout search checks — and what it doesn’t, like common-law rights and state registrations — before you rely on a result.

The two most common reasons USPTO refuses an application, explained in plain English — and what actually happens next.