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The cost for trademark search projects can vary depending on the type of mark, the number of databases, your chosen search platform, and whether you conduct searches in-house or via an external specialist.
When conducting trademark searches before registering a new mark, businesses can choose between running search projects themselves or outsourcing their trademark search needs to an external specialist. It may appear to be cheaper to run searches in-house, but this is potentially more costly if you don't have access to the appropriate resources, knowledge, or specialist platforms.
In some instances, trademark searching can be conducted free of charge, since many national intellectual property (IP) offices now provide free access to their online databases of trademark registrations. However, this approach is unlikely to provide rapid access to comprehensive results if you need to search effectively across multiple databases, including word marks, devices, and common law rights.
That's why many businesses turn to commercial platforms, such as our Markify Clearance Platform, or outsource trademark searches to a trusted partner, such as Questel.
The cost for a trademark search in a commercial database will vary depending on the volume and extent of your search needs. If you conduct trademark searches on an ad-hoc basis, you can order one-off reports; if you conduct trademark searches frequently, it will likely be more cost-effective to subscribe to a tool such as Markify ProSearch".
Why can doing a trademark search yourself be more expensive?
If you don't have the time, capacity, or knowledge to manage trademark searches in-house, it may be advisable to order analyst-driven searches from an external partner instead. This should save you budget in the long run by eliminating the risks associated with improper or incomplete trademark searching, which can be very costly for a business.
Trademark searching is an art that requires extensive experience and knowledge. If you get it wrong, your chosen mark could be refused registration, or you could launch the mark only to discover that a third party already owns a similar and potentially confusing mark, impeding the exclusivity and value of your mark—and your ability to use it unopposed in key markets.
It is for this reason that expediting your trademark searching to external service providers can significantly decrease the overall costs involved with conducting trademark searches, both financially and in terms of your brand's success. While such trademark searching services are not free of charge, the fees required for professionals to conduct a thorough investigation into your proposed mark are nominal in comparison to the potential repercussions of an incomplete trademark search.
To find out more about trademark searching and how to avoid the risk of improper searching, watch our webinar ' Tailored Trademark Searches: Where Algorithms Meet Expertise,' read our step-by-step guide, or contact our subject matter experts.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
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