VERBATIM FROM CLAUDE — Because I can’t really say it any better:
Me to Claude: Hi. What’s the most efficient way to do a basic USPTO check for a given prospective domain name?
Good news: TESS is gone, but the current tool is straightforward and free.
Quick check (5-10 minutes):
- Go to tmsearch.uspto.gov (this replaced the old TESS system a couple years back).
- Use Basic Search — pick “Wordmark” from the field dropdown, type in your candidate name, and search. No Boolean syntax needed anymore.
- Look at what comes back for:
- Exact matches on the mark
- Close phonetic/spelling variants
- Whether any live registration or pending application covers a similar goods/services class to what you’d actually use the domain for (a match in an unrelated class is usually not a real conflict)
- Also just Google the exact name + “trademark” and check if it’s an obvious existing brand — catches unregistered “common law” marks that USPTO search won’t show.
What this does and doesn’t tell you:
- It’s a solid gut-check before you fall in love with a name or buy the domain.
- It is not a clearance search — it won’t catch state trademark registrations, foreign marks, or subtle conflicts a trademark attorney would flag (phonetic equivalents, design marks, dilution issues for famous brands).
- If you’re about to sink real money into a brand build (not just testing a domain), a cheap paid clearance search or a quick attorney consult is worth it before you commit.
For your workflow — spinning up new brand names across your portfolio — the free Basic Search is probably enough as a first filter before you register a domain, with a real clearance search reserved for whichever names actually make it to “we’re building this.”