Trademark Search India: Check Your Brand Name Free Before You Register

What is a trademark search?

A trademark search, also called a TM search or trademark check, is a check of the Trade Marks Registry to see whether a brand name, logo or tagline is already filed or registered by someone else for the same or similar goods and services.

In India, the official record is kept by the Trade Marks Registry under the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks (IP India). Any name you want to use as a brand should be checked against it before you file, print packaging or spend on marketing. Checking trademark name availability is the first step of every registration.

A trademark is one of the main types of intellectual property, which is why the official IP trademark records sit with IP India next to patents and designs. For most businesses the brand trademark is the most valuable piece of trademark intellectual property they own, so a trademark check India founders run before launch is cheap insurance.

A good search answers three questions:

• Is the same name already filed in my class?
• Is a name that looks or sounds similar already filed?
• What is the status of those marks: registered, objected, opposed or abandoned?

Why check your brand name before you register

The government fee for a trademark application is not refunded if the Registry refuses it. A clash found after filing costs money and months.

A five-minute search before filing avoids most of these problems. It also tells you early if you should change a letter, add a word or pick a different name.

How to do a trademark name search with our tool

A trademark search online on TaxCaller takes a few minutes. You can run a trademark name search, a brand name search or a trademark status search from the same box.

1. Type your brand name. A quick trademark name check uses only the word part. Leave out "Pvt Ltd", "India" or the logo text.
2. Pick a class (optional). If you know what you sell, choose its class. Not sure? Use the class finder below.
3. Press Search. The tool checks exact matches, names that start the same way and names that sound alike.
4. Read the status of each match. Green means registered, yellow means pending or objected, grey means abandoned or refused.
5. Check the live record. Use the "View on IP India" button on any result for the final status on the government site.
6. Talk to an expert before filing. Our team reviews the results with you and files the application if the name is clear.

How to read the search results

Each result shows the trademark name, class, application number, filing date, applicant, goods or services and its current status.

Check trademark status: what each status on IP India means

When you check trademark registration status by application number, the IP India e-Register shows one of these stages. Here is what each one means in plain words.

Where to find your application number

It is on the filing receipt sent by email after you file Form TM-A, and in the e-filing account used for the application. Your agent or consultant can also share it.

Application number not showing a result?

• Recheck every digit. A single wrong digit opens a different mark or nothing.
• Use the e-Register for status, not the public search, which works by name.
• Very new filings can take a few days to appear.
• Still missing? Check the filing receipt and the fee payment record.

IP India trademark search: TM public search step by step

The free public search of trademark records is on the IP India website, run by the official trade mark registry. This trademark public search, often called the IP public search, is the final source, so it is worth knowing how to use it.

People type many names for this one official tool: IP India public search, ipindia public search, ipindiaonline public search, TM public search, T M search, trademark search public or just public search. They all lead to the same Trade Mark Public Search of the Registry. Two websites are involved: ipindiaonline.gov.in is the e-filing portal where applications are filed, and tmrsearch.ipindia.gov.in is where the ipindia search, the ipindiaonline search results and the e-register of registered trademarks are shown.

1. Open the Trade Mark Public Search page on IP India.
2. Choose the search type: Wordmark for names, Phonetic for names that sound alike, or Vienna Code for logos.
3. For a wordmark search, choose the match type:
   • Start With finds marks that begin with your word.
   • Contains finds your word anywhere in a mark.
   • Match With finds the exact word only.
4. Type the brand name and enter the class number (1 to 45).
5. Fill in the CAPTCHA and press Search.
6. Open each result to see the applicant, goods and status. Use the e-Register with the application number for the full history.

Trademark e-register: check trademark status of one application

The trademark e register (written e-register on IP India) shows the full history of a single application: status, examination report, hearing dates, documents filed and the registration certificate. Lawyers call this the e register trademark search, and some people type it as trademark search eregister or e trademark search.

1. Open the IP India e-Register.
2. Choose "Trade Mark Application/Registered Mark" and then "National/IRDI Number".
3. Enter the application number and the CAPTCHA, then open "View".

Use the e register trademark record whenever you need the latest status of registered trademarks or pending applications. Our search shows the application number on every result so you can open this record in one step.

IP India has also added a Trademark Search (AI/ML) option on its "Search existing trademarks" page, which helps find similar marks. The Ministry of Corporate Affairs links to the same public search of trademark records for founders who are choosing a company name.

The IP India search portal is accurate, but the trademark registry website can be slow, needs a CAPTCHA for every search and shows results one class at a time. With the TaxCaller tool you can search trademark records across classes in one go, then confirm on IP India.

Types of trademark search

Wordmark search

Checks the exact name and names that start with or contain the same word. This is the first search everyone should run.

Phonetic search

Finds names that sound the same but are spelt differently, such as "Kwik" and "Quick" or "Shree" and "Sri". The Registry treats sound-alike names as similar, so this check matters as much as the exact one.

Device or logo search

Logos are coded under the Vienna Classification. A Vienna code search finds marks with similar images, like a lion, a crown or a leaf.

Class-wise search

Limits results to one of the 45 classes. Useful once you know exactly what you sell.

Applicant name search

Shows every mark filed by one person or company. Handy for checking a competitor's brands.

Trademark application search by number (status search)

Gives the full history of one application, from filing to registration. Use the e-Register trademark search on IP India, or the status shown in our results.

Market and internet search

Unregistered brands can still win on prior use. A quick check on Google, marketplaces, social media and the MCA company list catches names that are in use but not filed.

Similar in look, sound or meaning

The examiner compares marks the way a buyer would see and hear them. Two names can clash because they look alike ("Colgate" and "Colegate"), sound alike, or mean the same thing in another language ("Sun" and "Suraj"). Check all three before you settle on a name.

Knockout search and clearance search

A knockout search is the quick first check that rules out names with an obvious clash. A clearance search is the deeper review of the shortlisted name across classes, spellings and the market. Do the knockout search yourself; get the clearance review done before you file.

Slogan and tagline search

Taglines can be registered too, and they clash the same way names do. Search the main words of the tagline as a wordmark and as a phonetic search before printing it on packaging.

Medicine names: INN check

Generic medicine names declared by the World Health Organization as International Non-Proprietary Names cannot be registered as trademarks under Section 13. Pharma brands should check the INN list on IP India along with the normal search.

TM search report

A TM search report is a written summary of the conflicting marks found for your name, with a risk opinion. IP India also issues an official search certificate on Form TM-C for a fee. For most small businesses, a free search plus an expert review is enough before filing.

When should you do a trademark search?

• Before you finalise a brand name, logo or tagline.
• Before you register a company or LLP with that name.
• Before you buy the domain or print packaging, boards and cards.
• Before you launch on Amazon, Flipkart or your own website.
• Before you export or start selling in a new country.
• Every time you add a new product line in a new class.

Trademark search checklist before you file

1. Write down every product and service you will sell under the name.
2. Find the class for each one, and note the related classes too.
3. Run an exact wordmark search in each class.
4. Run a phonetic search for the same classes.
5. Search the closely related classes. Clothing and footwear, or cafes and packed food, often clash.
6. Read the status of every close match, not just the name.
7. Check the market: Google, Amazon, Flipkart, Instagram and the MCA company list.
8. Save screenshots or a PDF of your search with the date. It helps if anyone later questions your good faith.

Common trademark search mistakes

• Searching only the exact spelling and skipping the phonetic search.
• Searching one class when the business will need two or three.
• Treating a "no result" as a green signal without checking very recent filings.
• Ignoring abandoned marks without checking why they were abandoned.
• Choosing a name that describes the product, which fails under Section 9 even when no one else has it.
• Printing packaging, signboards or domain names before the search.

Who can do a trademark search, and what you need

Anyone can search: an individual, a startup, a company, an LLP or a lawyer. You need no login, no document and no fee for a basic search, on TaxCaller or on IP India. Keep the brand name, a list of your goods or services and, if you have one, the logo ready.

Brand name search: how strong is your name?

Some names are easy to register and protect; others are refused even when no one else owns them. The more invented the word, the stronger the mark.

Tips for a name that is easy to register

• Invent a word, or join two words in a new way.
• Avoid place names and plain praise words like "Super", "Pure" or "Deluxe".
• Avoid names that copy or play on a famous brand.
• File the logo separately or as a device mark, once the word is clear.
• File early, and keep proof of when you started using the name, such as bills, ads and website dates. Prior use also counts in India under Section 34.

Trademark classes: pick the right one

India follows the Nice Classification with 45 classes. Classes 1 to 34 cover goods. Classes 35 to 45 cover services. A trademark protects your name only in the classes you file in, so the search must be done in the same classes.

Many businesses need two classes. A bakery that sells packed cakes and also runs a cafe needs Class 30 for the products and Class 43 for the cafe.

Similar name found? Here are your options

• Change the name. Even a small change in sound and look can clear the conflict.
• Add a distinctive word. A coined word with your name, like a family name or invented term, makes the mark stronger.
• File in a different class if your goods are truly different and the earlier mark is not well known.
• Check if the earlier mark is weak. Abandoned, refused or long-unused marks may not block you.
• Get a consent letter from the earlier owner. Section 11(4) of the Trade Marks Act allows registration with consent.

Why the Registry refuses a brand name

The Trade Marks Act, 1999 has two sets of grounds.

A search covers Section 11. Section 9 depends on the name itself, which is why an expert review of the name matters as much as the search.

What a trademark search cannot tell you

• Very recent filings. Marks filed in the last few days or weeks may not show anywhere yet.
• Unregistered brands in use. A shop or brand that never filed can still have rights from prior use.
• The examiner's view. Whether your name is too descriptive is decided by the examiner under Section 9.
• Future oppositions. An earlier owner can oppose after Journal publication, even if you missed their mark.

This is why a search is the first step, and an expert review of the name is the second.

What if you use a name that is already registered?

Using a registered trademark, or a deceptively similar one, for the same or related goods is infringement under Section 29. The owner can file a suit and ask the court for an injunction, damages or a share of profits, and for removal of infringing labels and packaging under Section 135. Rebranding after a notice usually costs far more than a search before launch.

TM and ® symbols: when to use which

• ™ can be used with a brand you claim as yours, including after you file the application.
• ® can be used only after registration is granted.
• Using ® on an unregistered mark is an offence under Section 107, punishable with imprisonment up to three years, a fine, or both.

Trade mark search India: which option to use

Most founders start with a free trademark ip search here, then confirm on the trademark website of the Registry. For a name you will spend money on, add an expert review.

Trademark search vs company name search vs domain search

A company name approved by MCA does not stop someone else from registering it as a trademark. Check both, and secure the domain too.

After the search: how to register your trademark

1. Finalise the name, logo and classes.
2. File Form TM-A online with the government fee.
3. Start using ™ with your brand.
4. Reply to any examination objection within one month.
5. Track the Journal publication and the four-month opposition period.
6. Receive the registration certificate and start using ®.

Source: First Schedule, Trade Marks Rules 2017, as shown on IP India forms and official fees. Professional fees are separate. For full details, see our trademark registration service.

Trademark Journal and the opposition window

Once an application is accepted, it is published in the Trade Marks Journal, which IP India releases every Monday. From the date of publication, anyone has four months to oppose the mark under Section 21. If you own a brand, watching the Journal is how you spot copycat filings in time.

How long a trademark lasts

A registered trademark is valid for 10 years from the filing date (Section 25). It can be renewed for further 10-year periods without limit. If you miss the date, late renewal with a surcharge is possible, and the Registrar can restore a removed mark within one year of expiry.

Searching trademarks outside India

An Indian trademark protects your brand only in India. If you plan to export or sell abroad, search in those countries too. The WIPO Global Brand Database and the EU's TMview cover many national registers. Filing abroad can be done country by country or through the Madrid Protocol, which India joined in 2013.

How often to check your trademark registration status

• Every two to four weeks while the application is pending, so you never miss a one-month reply deadline.
• Every Monday during the four-month opposition window, when the new Journal comes out.
• Once a year after registration, and well before the 10-year renewal date.

Where our trademark data comes from: Trade Mark Registry records

• Trade Marks Journal: we read each weekly issue published by IP India and add the marks to our own database.
• TradeMarx: when a name is not in our data, or has not been checked in the last seven days, we ask the TradeMarx trademark index once and keep the answer, so registered, objected and refused marks also show.
• IP India e-Register: every result links to the official record for the live status.

Every mark from the journal also has its own page, with owner, class, goods and the last date to oppose. Open it from any search result.

Our data is updated every week, not every minute. A filing made in the last few weeks, or a status changed very recently, may not show yet. That is why every filing we handle starts with an expert check on the live IP India record.

Legal sources behind this page

Every rule on this page comes from the law and official IP India material, not from guesswork:

• Trade Marks Act, 1999: Section 9 and 11 (grounds for refusal), Section 13 (INN names), Section 21 (opposition), Section 25 (validity and renewal), Section 29 (infringement), Section 34 (prior use), Section 107 (false use of ®) and Section 135 (court relief).
• Trade Marks Rules, 2017: Rule 33 (reply to examination report) and the First Schedule (official fees).
• IP India: Trade Mark Public Search, e-Register and the weekly Trade Marks Journal.
• Nice Classification for the 45 classes and Vienna Classification for logos.

This page gives general legal information for choosing a brand name. It is not legal advice on a particular case; for that, speak to our trademark team.

Expert advice before you file

From the filings we handle, the names that run into trouble are rarely exact copies. They are names that sound like an existing brand, or names that simply describe the product. Run a phonetic search, avoid plain descriptive words, and file in every class you will actually use. If a match looks close, ask us before you print anything.