See coordinated classesĬonsiderations for finding trademarks used with goods and services related to yours We have established the coordinated classes based on our research so you don’t have to. So if you sell clothing, a consumer could reasonably expect that you also sell goods from classes 14 or 18, or offer services from class 35. This is because many companies that offer clothing also offer jewelry from class 14, leather handbags from class 18, and retail store services from class 35. Some goods and services from different classes are so related that their overall classes are called “coordinated classes.” For example, class 25 (clothing) has several coordinated or related classes, including class 14 (jewelry), class 18 (leather goods), and class 35 (advertising and business services). Familiarize yourself with the classification of your goods and services and related goods and services so you’ll be able to use this tool when you search TESS. For background on what related goods and services are and why this matters for your trademark application, see our likelihood of confusion page.Ĭlasses are one of the most important tools for narrowing your TESS search so that your search is efficient and your results are relevant. If you know the classification of the goods and services you’d like to apply for, you can search TESS for trademarks that are used with goods and services in the same class or in what we call “coordinated classes.” Two classes can be coordinated if many of the goods or services in one class are related to the goods or services in the other class. For example, class 25 covers clothing and class 36 covers all insurance and financial services. Each class can cover a wide range of goods or services. Classes 1-34 are for goods, classes 35-45 are for services. There are 45 classes, or categories, that cover all goods and services. Similarly, classification is a way to categorize goods and services to help you search TESS for goods and services that are similar or related to yours. Stores categorize merchandise into departments to help you find the products you are looking for, like women’s clothing, household appliances, or bed linen. If we find any, we will not register your trademark, and we can’t refund your filing fee.Ĭlassification – find trademarks used on goods and services related to yoursĬlassification is similar to the departments in a store. When we examine your application, we will look for trademarks that are likely to cause confusion with your trademark. The more you narrow your search, the greater your odds of missing a conflicting trademark in your clearance search.īeing conservative when narrowing your search is crucial. Narrow your search just enough to limit your results to a number that you can reasonably evaluate. This page will help you learn to use some of these tools. A number of tools can help you narrow your search. If you receive an unmanageably large number of results, you can narrow your search to only the trademarks that are most relevant. Narrow enough to limit the results you must evaluate to a manageable number of trademarks.Broad enough to find all the trademarks that are likely to cause confusion with yours.Design search codes - if you plan to include a design or logo in your trademark or use any words that could be represented by an image, design search codes allow you to search for trademarks with similar design elements.Classification of your goods and services - find out how the USPTO classifies your goods and services to help you narrow your search to trademarks that are used with related goods and services.This page will help you identify classes and design search codes to use in your TESS search. Design search codes and classes can help you target your search, making it easier to find any trademarks that are likely to cause confusion with yours. Because the TESS database has records for millions of trademarks, you need a strategic approach to search effectively. Searching the Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS) is an important part of doing a thorough clearance search. Transferring ownership / Assignments help.International intergovernmental organizations.Enforcing your trademark rights/trademark litigation.
Checking registration status & viewing documents.Checking application status & viewing documents.Madrid Protocol & international protection.