Searching the USPTO Before you Register a New Business Name

Post #5: the US Patent and Trademark Office is another place to check before selecting a new name for your business.

In this Substack, I will walk you through the process of starting, operating, maintaining, and — if needed — selling or closing your own small business.

Today, I’m going to help you with checking the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to make sure that your business name has not yet been claimed.

---

👉 Subscribe to this Substack if you want to learn how to setup, operate, maintain, scale, etc… a small business. The Journey began with Post #1.

To review:

• You decided on what service or product you want to offer, and you realized why you chose this one [Post #1];

• You made a list of IDEAS for potential business names [Post #2]; and,

• You performed a variety of quick web searches to see if any of the names on your list were already claimed [Post #3].

• You searched the business entity database with the Secretary of State for each of the states in the US where you plan to set up your new business [Post #4].

---

Patent Office relief on the Herbert C. Hoover Building, Source: Wikimedia Commons.

What’s the USPTO?

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is a federal agency within the United States Department of Commerce that is responsible for granting patents and registering trademarks.

The USPTO plays a key role in protecting intellectual property by issuing patents for inventions, such as machines, designs, or new plant varieties, and registering trademarks for brand elements like names, logos, or slogans.

Tools like the Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS) allow you to search for existing trademarks, while there are other resources to help explore patents.

The USPTO also provides educational materials, legal guidance, and support for international intellectual property protection. Their online systems, such as those for filing patents and managing trademark applications, aim to streamline processes and make intellectual property management more accessible.

Without getting into a more detailed listing of services, you can most certainly find a lot of great information to support your new business creation on the website directly (the link is below!).

5 Steps to Check the USPTO

Let’s walk through some easy steps.