Common Law Trademark

Trademark Resources

• United States Patent and Trademark Office’s Web site

• TESS (Trademark Electronic Search System)

• California State Trademarks

General Sources of Business Names

Search general business directories to find out what names are in use.

• Reference Solutions (Data Axle) - contains 20 million business names. It is searchable by any keyword in the name and also by industry and location. (In the U.S. Businesses Database's Advanced Search, include/select Unverified Businesses to capture all businesses using the name.)

• Mergent Online - U.S. and international company financials, ratios, news and annual reports, including D&B Private Company Database.

• ThomasNet Web site - manufacturers, distributors and service providers, "from Actuators to Zirconium and everything in between." Includes a brand search.

• Consultants & Consulting Organizations Directory (print directory)

• Encyclopedia of Associations - good source for nonprofit and special interest organizations. In print at the General Collections Center.

California Businesses

• California Business Search - CA corporations (including nonprofits), limited partnerships (LP) and limited liability companies (LLC). The Business Search is only a preliminary search and not intended to serve as a formal name availability search. (See Name Reservations for more information.)

Fictitious Business Name (FBN) Search

• San Francisco Fictitious Business Name Search

Print Directories of Local Businesses

[See Local Company Research Resources for a more complete list of local sources]

• California Manufacturers Register Current

• Directory of California Wholesalers & Service Companies  Current

• Northern California High Technology Directory  Up to 2014

General Sources of Brand & Product Names

• Brands & Their Companies - U.S. listings of trade names and products. Current

• The Advertising Red Books (formerly "Standard Directory of Advertisers") - brands and advertisers are indexed by industry and location.

• ThomasNet (manufacturers and their brands)

Sources for Specific Goods & Services

The Business, Science & Technology Center has many print trade directories for a wide range of industries. 

• National Register of Apparel Manufacturers.

• RN & WPL Encyclopedia - best source for identifying clothing labels and manufacturers. Up to 2009

Additional Suggestions

• Search the Internet for your prospective trademark. Use a search engine like Google for a broad search or try an index such as Yahoo to concentrate on a business or product category.

• Scan trade magazines for business and product names. Business Publication Advertising Source from Standard Rate & Data Service is an excellent source of industry publications. Check the Library’s catalog to see if SFPL has any of the industry titles.

• Consult local and regional yellow pages.

• For special types of businesses, consult a library center that specializes in a related subject. For instance, ask staff at the Art, Music, and Recreation Center about searching for band (music) names.

• There are companies that perform trademark searches for a fee. They can be located in the phone book under “trademark consultants,” or found online in library databases such as Reference Solutions.