Why do I need comprehensive search?

If you're currently using or plan to use a trademark, it's always a good idea to see if there are similar marks that could be confused with yours, or might affect your ability to use and protect your trademark. Although we provide a powerful free search engine for you, that only powers direct-hit search, which could only partially lower the risks. If there are potentially confusing trademarks registered with the USPTO, those could affect your chances of registering your own mark. Also, if there are any potentially confusing marks already in use by businesses—even marks that haven't been registered—these could affect your ability to register or use your trademark.