International Trademark Research: How to Check Trademarks Worldwide

Author: Antonio Blago

You want to sell your brand beyond Germany, for example in the EU, the USA, or through an online marketplace? Then a search in the German register is not enough, as trademark protection abroad is established country by country. An international trademark research shows you before registration whether there are already older rights in your target countries that conflict with your name. This guide explains the process step by step: which offices and registers count, how the classes work, what role the Madrid system plays, and where the risks lie.

What does international trademark research mean and how is it conducted?

A trademark, often referred to as a brand in the past, is an intellectual property right. Trademark research checks whether a sign is identical or similar to an older trademark and whether the goods and services match or are similar. Cross-border means: You repeat this check for each country or region where you need trademark protection abroad. Trademark rights are territorial. A German trademark protects you only in Germany, a Union trademark in all EU member states, and a US trademark only in the USA.

Cross-border research therefore includes three levels: national registers (for example at the German Patent and Trademark Office, DPMA), regional registers (Union trademarks at the European Union Intellectual Property Office, EUIPO), and international registrations under the Madrid system of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Whether your trademark name is available worldwide is determined by searching each of these levels for your target countries.

Important for classification: The offices usually do not check on their own whether older similar trademarks exist when registering. In Germany, this is a so-called relative obstacle to protection under § 9 Trademark Act, which the owner of the older trademark must assert through an opposition or nullity application. The research is therefore up to you. Here’s how to proceed if you want to research a trademark internationally and then protect it: first check, then register in your home country, then expand abroad via the Madrid system or individual offices.

What steps are necessary for a global trademark check?

1. Define target markets: List the countries where you want to sell, produce, or use marketplaces in the next three to five years. Exporters should also check countries with production or intermediary trade.
2. Determine goods and services: Describe your offering concretely and assign it to the classes of the Nice Classification.
3. Identity search: Search for the exact name in the registers of your target markets.
4. Similarity search: Look for spelling variants, phonetic similarities, translations, and word components. This is where the risk of confusion is determined, as it exists already with similarity, not just with identity.
5. Evaluate hits: Check status (registered, entered, deleted), owner, area of protection, and the goods and services directory.
6. Document decision: Record search terms, date, and register. This helps in later conflicts and during registration.

How long this takes depends on the number of target countries and hits. You can complete an initial identity search yourself in a few hours, but a thorough similarity check across multiple legal systems takes significantly more time.

Which databases do I use: DPMA, EUIPO, WIPO, and USPTO?

The following registers are official sources and freely accessible. Each trademark database covers a different area of protection, so you need more than one trademark database for multiple target countries:

For Germany, you can find additional information in the DPMA trademark research guide. Our article on EU trademark research at EUIPO shows how to search for Union trademarks in detail. The registers only record registered and applied trademarks. Unregistered rights such as business identifiers or use marks are not found there; for that, you also need a web and commercial register search.

What role does the Madrid Agreement play in international trademark registration?

The Madrid system is based on the Madrid Trademark Agreement and its protocol. According to the system, you can apply for protection in up to 133 countries covered by 117 members with a single application and a set of fees. A prerequisite is a basic mark: a national or regional application or registration at an office of a member.

You do not apply for international registration directly with WIPO, but through your originating office. For a German basic mark, this is the DPMA according to § 108 Trademark Act. After that, each designated country examines according to its own law. The respective office must decide on protection or refusal within 12, in some cases 18 months. A refusal in one country does not affect protection in the others. The registration is valid for ten years and is extendable. You can track the status of a registration in the Madrid Monitor.

For research, this means: An international registration may have an effect in your target country, even if it does not appear in the national register of that country or only as a designation. Therefore, always check the Madrid data as well. Also note that the international registration depends on the basic mark in the first years. If the basic mark is lost, the international protection may also be lost. Therefore, careful research before registration in the home country indirectly protects your entire foreign portfolio.

Are there differences between national and international trademark class examination?

Most offices use the Nice Classification for goods and services. A new version is published each year. The class numbers are internationally comparable, but the permissible terms in the directory are not the same everywhere. The USA often requires more precise formulations than the EU. Furthermore, similarity does not stop at class boundaries. Goods from different classes can be similar, such as clothing and bags. Therefore, always research in adjacent classes as well.

In a Madrid application, the directory must be narrower but not broader than that of the basic mark. Therefore, plan your classes at the national registration stage with a view to foreign markets.

How do EUIPO research and WIPO research differ from each other?

An EUIPO search checks Union trademarks that apply uniformly in all EU states. National trademarks of individual EU states are not included there; for that, you need the national registers or a combined search. The WIPO search captures international registrations under the Madrid system, meaning trademarks that name multiple countries, including outside Europe. The research in the EU differs from a global search mainly in scope: The EU search covers a single market, while the global search consists of many individual registers.

Trademark research in the USA has its peculiarities. There, actual use of a trademark in commerce plays a significant role, and unregistered rights can also carry weight. The USPTO describes searching in its system under "Search our trademark database." Therefore, for US plans, it is also worthwhile to search for names in the market.

Special trademark forms: Collective mark and guarantee mark

In addition to the individual mark, there are special forms. A collective mark under § 97 Trademark Act identifies goods of the members of an association. A guarantee mark under § 106a Trademark Act guarantees properties such as material or quality. Both can appear as older rights in your research and must be considered just like a regular trademark entry. Whether a hit is a special form is indicated in the respective trademark entry of the register.

Is it better to conduct trademark research yourself or hire a specialist?

You can conduct the identity search yourself as a founder or SME. This is the most cost-effective option and filters out obvious conflicts early on. Our guide on checking if a name is protected shows the basics. You should involve a trademark attorney if you find similar hits in your classes, if you are expanding into many countries, or if a hit needs to be legally assessed. The costs of professional research depend on the scope, countries, and provider. You can calculate official fees for a Madrid application with the WIPO fee calculator.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of free versus paid trademark research tools?

• Free registers: official, up-to-date, and without fees. Disadvantage: Each database has its own search logic, the similarity search is limited, and you must evaluate the results yourself.
• Paid searches: bundle many registers, systematically check variants, and often provide an assessment. Disadvantage: Costs and dependence on the quality of the provider.

For an initial check of your name, check trademark at TMPilot is also suitable. After registration, a trademark monitoring helps to detect new conflicting applications early.

What risks arise without international research?

Without research, you risk oppositions against your trademark application, warnings, claims for injunctions under § 14 Trademark Act and abroad under the local law, the blocking of offers on marketplaces, and an expensive renaming after market launch. This is particularly relevant for e-commerce traders, as marketplaces can remove offers in response to complaints from rights holders.

Practical example (fictional): A cosmetics startup registers "Nordglanz" with the DPMA and plans to sell in Austria and the USA. The identity search is clean. However, the similarity search reveals an international registration "Nordglance" for class 3 naming the USA. Due to the risk of confusion, the startup adjusts the name before launch instead of renaming after packaging printing and advertising.

Frequently asked questions about international trademark research

How do I determine if my trademark name is available worldwide?

There is no single search for the whole world. You check the registers of your target countries, the Union trademarks, and the Madrid registrations. Only if no similar older trademark appears in all relevant classes is the name considered free.

What does a professional international trademark research cost?

There is no fixed price. It depends on the number of countries, classes, and the scope of the assessment. Request specific offers and compare which registers and similarity checks are included.

How do I recognize conflicts early as a trademark owner?

Repeat the research before each new target market and continuously monitor new applications. This way, you can utilize opposition deadlines instead of later taking action against a registered trademark.

How do I explain the process to clients?

With the six steps above: target markets, goods and services, identity research, similarity research, evaluation, documentation. This makes the effort and the open risks for each country understandable.

Procedure: How this guide was created

This guide is based on official sources: the information from WIPO on the Madrid system and the Nice classification, the registers of DPMA, EUIPO, and USPTO, as well as the Trademark Act on gesetze-im-internet.de. We intentionally do not mention fee amounts because they change and are calculated differently depending on the country. Review date: September 29, 2026. The text does not replace legal advice.

Sources

• WIPO: Madrid System
• WIPO: Nice Classification
• WIPO: Madrid Fee Calculator
• USPTO: Trademark Search
• DPMA: Trademark Research
• Trademark Act § 9, § 108