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ChecklistIntellectual PropertyMedium
Trade Mark Search Checklist
Trade Mark Search Checklist for preparing documents, facts, dates, and questions connected to intellectual property.
Time to prepare1-3 hours
Before you search
0/3 completedNeed help with this checklist?
Get support from a lawyer who works with intellectual property matters.
Before the consultation
0/4 completedDuring the consultation
0/3 completedAfterwards
0/3 completedWhen It Applies
You want to check a business name, brand, logo, slogan, product name, or service name before applying for a South African trade mark.
You need to prepare clear search and filing questions for an intellectual-property lawyer or trade mark attorney.
Not For
- Giving a clearance opinion, confirming registrability, replacing a professional trade mark search, or drafting an application without advice.
Documents
- Proposed mark
- Logo files
- Goods and services list
- Applicant details
- Brand-use proof
- Search screenshots
- Competitor names
- Domain records
- Company records
- Question list
Timeline
- Before consultation: define the mark, goods, services, owner, and current use.
- During consultation: confirm search depth, risks, classes, and filing scope.
- After filing: save application records and calendar official dates.
- Ongoing: preserve brand-use proof and monitor conflicts.
Tips
- Search spelling, sound, logo, and meaning variations.
- Separate company-name and trade-mark questions.
- Think about future goods and services before filing.
- Do not treat a quick search as a clearance opinion.
Warning Signs
- A similar brand already exists.
- The owner entity is unclear.
- The mark describes the goods or services.
- A launch, investor, licensing, or rebrand deadline is close.
Official sources
- CIPC trade marksTrade mark application and search context.
- CIPC IP OnlineIP search and filing portal context.
- Trade Marks Act 194 of 1993Trade mark statutory framework context.
- Legal Practice Council list of legal practitionersLegal-practitioner discovery and verification context.
This checklist is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice.
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