USPTO Trademark Search: An Attorney's Guide to the New Search System

• Where it lives: tmsearch.uspto.gov. No login is needed for basic searching.
• Simple vs. expert search: the default box handles plain-language searches. Expert mode accepts field codes and operators, which is where attorneys should spend their time.
• Results view: results show the mark, owner, serial and registration numbers, status (live or dead), and goods and services. Filters let you narrow by status and class.
• Linking to TSDR: every result links to the Trademark Status and Document Retrieval record, where you can read the file history, office actions and specimens.

What changed from TESS:

• A new search language. The field tag now comes first, in capitals and followed by a colon, and the search term goes in lowercase. TESS's [comb] becomes CM:, [gs] becomes GS: and [ld] becomes LD:.
• Regular expressions for sound-alikes. Phonetic and alternate-spelling searches use regular expressions, which start and end with a forward slash, for example CM:/.*wave.*/.
• Combined search lines need expert mode. Turn on expert mode to see your numbered search history and combine earlier searches with AND, OR and AND NOT, for example 1 AND 2.
• A search builder. It builds field tag searches from menus, which helps while you learn the new syntax.

Examiners aren't looking for identical marks. They're looking for a likelihood of confusion under the DuPont factors, mainly similarity of the marks and relatedness of the goods or services. Your search should be built the same way.

Start with the mark's parts. Break the proposed mark into its dominant elements. For a mark like BLUEWAVE COFFEE, the dominant element is BLUEWAVE, and COFFEE is likely descriptive.

Search for variations, not just the exact string.

• Phonetic equivalents and misspellings (BLU, BLEW, WAVZ).
• Singular, plural and compound forms (BLUE WAVE, BLUEWAVES).
• Translations of foreign-language terms (doctrine of foreign equivalents).
• Meaning and commercial impression (OCEAN SWELL may conflict with BLUEWAVE in some contexts).

Use the expert-mode tools.

• Field tags target one part of the record: CM: for the mark wording (including pseudo marks and translations), GS: for goods and services, ON: for the owner name and DC: for design codes. Put tags in capitals and search terms in lowercase.
• Wildcards catch prefixes, suffixes and spelling variants. ? matches one character and * matches any number of characters, but neither works inside quotation marks. CM:blu?wave finds BLUEWAVE, and CM:bluewave* finds BLUEWAVES.
• Regular expressions go further for sound-alikes. CM:/.*wave.*/ finds marks with WAVE anywhere in the wording.
• Boolean operators combine the mark search with coordinated classes: CM:bluewave AND CC:030 finds BLUEWAVE marks in classes coordinated with Class 30. In expert mode, add AND NOT 1 to a later search to skip results you already reviewed.

Search coordinated classes, not just the client's class. Related goods often sit in different classes (for example, coffee in Class 30 and café services in Class 43). Use the USPTO's coordinated class guidance and the ID Manual to decide which classes to include.

Don't skip design marks. If the mark has a logo, search design codes as well as the words.

Read the goods and services, not just the marks. A similar mark for unrelated goods may be fine. An identical mark for related goods almost never is.

1. Intake: collect the exact mark, the goods and services in the client's words, first-use dates, geography and any logo files. (Our trademark intake checklist covers this.)
2. Knockout search: a quick USPTO search for identical and near-identical marks in the core classes. If it finds a clear blocker, stop and advise early.
3. Full search: variations, coordinated classes, design codes, plus common-law sources (state registrations, web, marketplaces, social handles). The USPTO database doesn't cover unregistered common-law use.
4. Analysis: score each hit on mark similarity, goods relatedness, status, and the strength of the cited mark. Note dead marks that could be revived or that show the field is crowded.
5. Opinion: give a risk rating, the reasons for it, and options such as narrowing the goods, changing the mark, or seeking consent.
6. Record it: save the search strategy, the date and the results to the matter file. That protects the firm and makes later office action responses faster.

Paravant's Trademark Intake Center, coming late 2026, collects the client details in step 1 in a structured form, so nothing is missing when you start searching. The AI Trademark Assistant finds the perfect Trademark Manual of Identification entry, so the attorney's time goes into the judgment calls. Once the application is filed, every deadline is docketed automatically.