Today, November 30, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) replaced its outdated Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS) with a more modern cloud-based search tool. Launched in early 2000, TESS allowed users to research a desired trademark’s availability before they filed an application. The new search tool, named simply Trademark Search, seeks to fill in the gaps where TESS was seen as deficient.
What Does The New Trademark Search Tool Do?
With its user-friendly platform, the new trademark search tool simplifies the research process by offering a standalone search bar interface that lets users complete a comprehensive trademark search across all USPTO records.
By contrast, the often clunky TESS interface required users to search separately for word or design marks, which made search results difficult to aggregate. The new search tool solves that problem by letting users toggle the search bar to browse the entire database, or narrow their search to a serial number, owner, mark description, and more.
The USPTO feels that their new trademark database search tool will not only streamline the trademark research and application process, but that it will make it easier for all customers to perform their due diligence before applying for trademarks.
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