What the public search actually tells you
The Trade Marks Registry publishes its entire register online. Anyone can search it, free, without an account. For each mark you can see the application number, the word or logo itself, the class it was filed in, who owns it, the filing date, and its current status.
That is enough to answer the only question that matters before you file: is somebody already using something confusingly close to my brand, in my line of business?
It matters because the government fee is not refundable. If your application is refused because an earlier similar mark exists, you do not get the money back. A search costs nothing; a refusal costs the whole fee plus the months you waited.
Before you search: pick your class
The portal searches one class at a time. If you search the wrong class, the results will look reassuringly empty while a conflicting mark sits in the class you should have checked.
India follows the Nice Classification — 45 classes, of which 1 to 34 cover goods and 35 to 45 cover services. A clothing label sits in Class 25; if it also runs a shop, Class 35 matters too.
Work out your classes first. Our list of all 45 classes sets out what each one covers. Then search each of them separately — and consider a neighbouring class or two, because examiners raise objections across related classes, not only identical ones.
Wordmark search, step by step
This is the search most people mean by "trademark name search". It looks at the text of registered and pending marks.
- Open the public search page and choose Wordmark as the search type.
- Type your brand name in the wordmark box.
- Enter the class number.
- Complete the captcha and search.
Now the part that gets skipped. The wordmark search has three prefix options, and they return very different results:
| Option | What it finds | Searching "Zylos" |
|---|---|---|
| Match With | Exact matches only | Only "Zylos" |
| Starts With | Marks beginning with your term | "Zylos Foods", "Zylostar" |
| Contains | Your term anywhere in the mark | "New Zylos", "Prozylos" |
Run all three. "Match With" alone tells you almost nothing — an exact duplicate is rare, while a mark that merely contains your brand is common and is exactly what an examiner will cite against you.
If your brand is two words, search the distinctive word on its own as well. "Zylos Solutions" should be searched as "Zylos", because "Solutions" is generic and carries no weight.
Phonetic search — the one people skip
Indian trademark law does not only bar identical marks. Section 11 of the Trade Marks Act, 1999 blocks marks that are deceptively similar to an earlier one — and sounding alike counts.
The phonetic search finds marks that sound like yours even when spelled differently: Kool and Cool, Klarity and Clarity, Zaika and Zayka. A wordmark search will never surface these, because not a single letter matches.
Switch the search type to Phonetic, enter the same name, enter the same class, and search again. There are no prefix options here — the registry applies its own sound-matching logic.
Vienna code search, for logos
If you are registering a logo or device mark rather than plain text, words are not enough. Two logos can look almost identical while their names share nothing.
The Vienna Classification assigns numeric codes to figurative elements — a crown, a leaf, a lion, a star, a geometric shape. You search by the code for your logo's main element, plus your class, and the portal returns marks containing that element.
Identify the codes for your logo's dominant features, then search each one. If your branding leans heavily on imagery, this step is as important as the name search. If your mark is text only, you can skip it.
Reading the results: which marks are real obstacles
A long results list is not automatically bad news. What matters is each mark's legal status, because a dead mark rarely blocks anything.
| Status | Is it live? | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Registered | Yes | The strongest obstacle. Rights are in force. |
| Accepted & Advertised | Yes | Close to registration. Treat as a real conflict. |
| Objected / Opposed | Yes | Still alive. It could still be registered. |
| Abandoned | No | Usually no longer an obstacle, but check the date. |
| Withdrawn / Refused | No | Generally not a barrier on its own. |
If a status on your results list is unfamiliar, our guide to what each trademark status means explains all of them.
One caution about abandoned marks: abandonment can sometimes be reversed, and an owner who has been using the brand may still hold unregistered rights through prior use. A dead entry on the register does not always mean a dead brand in the market.
Want a second pair of eyes on your search?
Send us your brand name and what you sell. We will confirm the class and run the searches, including phonetic and similar marks — free of charge.
What the search cannot tell you
Clearing the register is necessary, not sufficient. Three things the portal will never show:
- Unregistered prior use. A business trading under a name for years can have common-law rights without ever filing. They can still oppose you.
- Whether your mark is registrable at all. Section 9 bars marks that merely describe the goods. "Fresh Milk" for milk will be objected to even if nobody else has filed it.
- How an examiner will weigh similarity. Deceptive similarity is a judgement call about the impression on an average consumer, not a mechanical comparison.
It is also worth checking the MCA company-name register and whether the domain and social handles are free, before you commit to a brand.
If the register looks clear
Good, but keep evidence. Save or screenshot your searches with their dates. If someone later claims you adopted the mark knowing about theirs, a dated search record is useful.
Then move reasonably quickly. In India, rights largely follow the first to file. A clear search today is no guarantee that the position holds in three months.
When you are ready to file, our guide to what trademark registration costs sets out the government fee for your applicant type and class count.
Frequently asked questions
Is the IP India trademark search really free?
Yes. The public search on the Trade Marks Registry portal is free and needs no registration or login. You only pay if you engage someone to run and interpret a thorough search for you.
Can I search all 45 classes at once?
No. The portal searches one class at a time, so you have to repeat the search for each class your business operates in. This is why identifying the right classes before you start matters so much.
What is the difference between wordmark and phonetic search?
Wordmark search matches the letters of a mark; phonetic search matches how it sounds. Phonetic search finds conflicts a wordmark search cannot — for instance "Klarity" against an existing "Clarity" — and Indian law treats sound-alike marks in the same class as a genuine conflict.
Do I need a Vienna code search for a text-only brand?
No. Vienna codes describe the figurative elements of a logo, so the search only applies to device marks. For a word-only brand, the wordmark and phonetic searches are what count.
The search shows an abandoned mark similar to mine. Is that a problem?
Usually not a direct obstacle, since an abandoned application is no longer being pursued. But abandonment can sometimes be reversed, and the owner may still have unregistered rights if they have been trading under the name. Check how recent it is before you rely on it.
My search found nothing. Does that mean my trademark will be registered?
Not necessarily. A clear register removes one obstacle, but your mark still has to be distinctive enough to pass Section 9, and a business with unregistered prior use can oppose you. A clean search improves the odds; it does not guarantee the outcome.