Many businesses now provide over the Internet databases of existing and pending trademarks, which the user can search, usually for a very reasonable fee. The services vary in their timeliness and whether or not state trademark registrations are available. The only free database is maintained by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) itself, and can be accessed on the Internet athttp://www.USPTO.GOV/tmdb/index.html. While this site provides a decent replacement to the CASSIS databases located in specific depository libraries around the country, it can be anywhere from several days to a couple months old. Furthermore, it does not include common law marks nor state registrations. As such, it should be used only as a means of eliminating potential marks prior to investing any money on a more comprehensive search.
