Post by thread:[OT] Brand Names/TradeMarks registration

Hi all, I've made up a brand name for my product, but not sure if it has been used, is there any website where I can check for all kinds of Brand Names that were already registered in Canada and USA (or even in Europe)? If I use a brand name already registered by someone. How close could my product be similar to his? Thanks. John _________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com. -- http://www.piclist.com hint: The PICList is archived three different ways. See http://www.piclist.com/#archives for details.

John, I don't know about Canada, but in the US, you can check the USPTO, (United States Patent and Trademark Office). There is a website directly to them. I can't remember it's URL at the moment, but a search should bring it up quickly. Also, there are repositories around the US. I know of one at Rice University in Houston. I know that one because I've used it before to search patents. Hope this helps you out some. Regards, Jim On Wed, 09 May 2001, John Waters wrote: {Quote hidden}> > Hi all, > > I've made up a brand name for my product, but not sure if it has been used, > is there any website where I can check for all kinds of Brand Names that > were already registered in Canada and USA (or even in Europe)? > > If I use a brand name already registered by someone. How close could my > product be similar to his? > > Thanks. > > John > _________________________________________________________________________ > Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com. > > -- > http://www.piclist.com hint: The PICList is archived three different > ways. See http://www.piclist.com/#archives for details. spam_OUTjimTakeThisOuTjpes.com -- http://www.piclist.com hint: The PICList is archived three different ways. See http://www.piclist.com/#archives for details.

I asked the same question to our in house patents and legal advisor who said the following. To get a trade mark, you have to: 1. make a trade mark search to establish whether or not the word has already been registered by somebody else as a trade mark; if so, you can speak to that person to see if they are actively using the mark or whether they wouldbe prepared to sell it to you; if not, see below. 2. make an application for registration at the Trade Mark Registry of the Patent Office. You can make an application for registration in the UK, European Community or worldwide. 3. wait about 18 months for the registration to come through. The time is necessary to allow people to object. For example, if somebody is using the name already (unregistered), then they will object to the proposed registration and may get a priority based on usage, in which case your application will be refused. If no objections are raised, then see below. 4. pay the fee, which in the case of the UK trade mark is around #1500,European Community mark around #1900, and worldwide much more expensive depending which countries you want to register it in. This is what it takes. Oh, and a search costs about #300. Hope this helps Andy Faulkner --- John Waters <.....john_fm_watersKILLspam@spam@HOTMAIL.COM> wrote: {Quote hidden}> Hi all, > > I've made up a brand name for my product, but not > sure if it has been used, > is there any website where I can check for all kinds > of Brand Names that > were already registered in Canada and USA (or even > in Europe)? > > If I use a brand name already registered by someone. > How close could my > product be similar to his? > > Thanks. > > John > _________________________________________________________________________ {Quote hidden}> Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at > http://www.hotmail.com. > > -- > http://www.piclist.com hint: The PICList is archived > three different > ways. See http://www.piclist.com/#archives for > details. > > ===== Andy Faulkner andyf97KILLspamyahoo.com Pyrosync International http://www.pyrosync.co.uk Tel +44 778 896 6087.....................UK Dial 0778 896 6087 Fax +44 870 132 3275.....................UK Dial 0870 132 3275 http://www.event-supplies.co.uk http://www.spectacular-fireworks.co.uk __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Auctions - buy the things you want at great prices http://auctions.yahoo.com/ -- http://www.piclist.com hint: The PICList is archived three different ways. See http://www.piclist.com/#archives for details.

You can try a trademark search at http://www.uspto.gov Harold On Wed, 9 May 2001 11:18:02 -0400 John Waters <.....john_fm_watersKILLspam.....HOTMAIL.COM> writes: {Quote hidden}> Hi all, > > I've made up a brand name for my product, but not sure if it has > been used, > is there any website where I can check for all kinds of Brand Names > that > were already registered in Canada and USA (or even in Europe)? > > If I use a brand name already registered by someone. How close could > my > product be similar to his? > > Thanks. > > John > _________________________________________________________________________ > Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at > http://www.hotmail.com. > > -- > http://www.piclist.com hint: The PICList is archived three different > ways. See http://www.piclist.com/#archives for details. > > FCC Rules Online at http://hallikainen.com/FccRules Lighting control for theatre and television at http://www.dovesystems.com ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: dl.http://www.juno.com/get/tagj. -- http://www.piclist.com hint: The PICList is archived three different ways. See http://www.piclist.com/#archives for details.

----- Original Message ----- From: John Waters <EraseMEjohn_fm_watersspam_OUTTakeThisOuTHOTMAIL.COM> > I've made up a brand name for my product, but not sure if it has been used, > is there any website where I can check for all kinds of Brand Names that > were already registered in Canada and USA (or even in Europe)? > > If I use a brand name already registered by someone. How close could my > product be similar to his? I'd stay as far as possible. I think there are lots of categories that you can register under. I think you can have an ACME brand shoe and some other company owns the name for ACME brand computers and if they actually try to sue each other I think the judge gives you a verbal "spanking" for being idiots, so companies try to register in as many applicable categories as possible. I read somewhere that Intel even registered their name under shoes and other rediculous things unrelated to electronics. It gets more confused with domain names, I think Proctor and Gamble tried to sue ajax.org or something, even though it had nothing to do with soap and I believe ajax comes from ancient Greek, so it's not stealing the name from P&G. In short, if you are really doing a real product, get a real copyright & trademark lawyer. Jeff -- http://www.piclist.com hint: The PICList is archived three different ways. See http://www.piclist.com/#archives for details.