An international trademark search means checking whether an identical or similar mark is registered or applied for on the registers of the countries where you plan to use or register your mark. A clean search result in Turkey says nothing about other countries: trademark rights are territorial and each country keeps its own register. International trademark search databases such as WIPO Global Brand Database and TMview are used for the first multi-country screening, and the target country's own database for the definitive picture.
Below we look at what the main international and national databases show and where their limits lie, the coverage gaps in these databases, how a search abroad differs from a search in Turkey, and, step by step, how to connect the result to your filing decision.
Why Does an International Trademark Search Have to Be Done Separately?
Because a registration in Turkey only protects you in Turkey, and the Turkish register does not show records in other countries. Our tool for trademark search for Turkey and the tool of TÜRKPATENT (the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office) both search the Turkish register; you will not see a mark bearing the same name in Germany, the United States or China.
If you are planning exports, manufacturing abroad, marketplace sales or franchising in another country, a mark registered before yours in the target country can block your products from entering that market. It is also worth remembering that an international application under the Madrid System is examined separately in each designated country; we explain how the system works in our article on the Madrid Protocol.
Multi-Country Databases: For the First Screening
Multi-country databases gather the records of many offices in a single interface and let you see quickly in which markets problems may arise. None of them is sufficient on its own, but they are the right starting point.
WIPO Global Brand Database
The free Global Brand Database of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) brings together international marks registered through the Madrid System, appellations of origin and geographical indications under the Lisbon System, emblems protected under Article 6ter of the Paris Convention, and the trademark records of participating national and regional offices. You can search by word, number, goods-and-services class and image similarity.
Its limit is this: coverage is restricted to the offices that share their data. Confirm whether your target country's national records are in the database by checking the source offices when you search.
Madrid Monitor
Madrid Monitor is WIPO's tool for monitoring international applications and registrations made through the Madrid System. It shows the protection status of an international registration in each designated country, its transaction history, and refusal or grant-of-protection decisions; it also gives access to the weekly WIPO Gazette and a free email alert service. The WIPO Gazette is the official publication of the Madrid System; it announces new international registrations, renewals, subsequent designations and changes to existing records.
It covers only records in the Madrid System; it does not show national applications filed directly with individual countries. WIPO is moving these functions to the "Find and Monitor" section of its eMadrid platform, which you access with a WIPO Account; the old tool will be decommissioned once the move is complete.
TMview
TMview is a free search tool managed by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), containing the trademark records of the national offices of the EU member states and EUIPO, as well as many offices outside the EU. TÜRKPATENT's trademark data was added to TMview on September 2, 2013. The tool also offers image search.
TMview's strength is that it shows national records across Europe in one place. However, each office's data follows its own update routine; a critical record should be confirmed on the office's own register.
Regional and National Databases: For Confirmation
For a country where the multi-country screening shows a problem, or which is your most important market, the final word lies with that country's own official register. The main ones are as follows.
EUIPO eSearch plus
EUIPO's free eSearch plus database shows published EU trade marks, designs, owners, representatives and, in the advanced search, Office decisions; you can set up watch alerts for records. Because an EU trade mark covers all member states with a single application, this is the first place to look for the EU market. We discuss the advantages and risks of the system in our article on the EU trade mark (EUTM).
USPTO Trademark Search
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) retired its old TESS system on November 30, 2023; it was replaced by the cloud-based "Trademark Search" system. The federal database contains all active and inactive applications and registrations, but, as the USPTO notes, only live records can block registration. File details are viewed separately in the TSDR system.
The USPTO states plainly that this database does not cover state registrations or marks not registered at federal level, and that rights based on earlier use can affect your federal registration. We explain the US use requirement in our guide to US trademark registration.
United Kingdom (UKIPO)
The UK Intellectual Property Office's search service on GOV.UK lets you search by number, owner, keyword or phrase, and image; its search types include a "similar" search that catches closeness in spelling and pronunciation. Since January 1, 2021, EU trade marks have not been protected in the United Kingdom; on that date, comparable national marks with numbers beginning "UK009" were created for the EU trade marks then in existence, and these appear on the UK register.
Germany (DPMAregister)
The free DPMAregister system of the German Patent and Trade Mark Office (DPMA) shows German national applications, registered and refused marks, as well as EU trade marks and international registrations protected in Germany. It has two important limits: similarity searches are not possible in the system, and the DPMA does not check during the application procedure whether identical or similar marks have already been registered. In other words, finding conflicts in Germany is entirely down to your own search.
China (CNIPA)
The official website of the trademark office under the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) offers a public trademark search service. The interface is mainly in Chinese; the office states that its data may be delayed and that search results are for reference only and have no legal effect. A search in Latin characters will not catch the Chinese equivalent or pronunciation of your mark; we cover the risk of pre-emptive registration in China in detail in our article on trademark registration in China.
Which Database Is Best for What?
The table below summarizes each tool's coverage, cost status and best use. The cost column refers to the search tool itself; paid pre-application check services are separate.
| Database | Coverage | Free? | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|
| WIPO Global Brand Database | Madrid records, national records of participating offices, appellations of origin, emblems | Yes | First multi-country screening and image search |
| Madrid Monitor / eMadrid | Only international applications and registrations in the Madrid System | Yes; eMadrid requires a WIPO Account | Tracking the country-by-country status of an international registration |
| TMview | EU national offices, EUIPO and many offices outside the EU | Yes | Europe-focused collective screening |
| EUIPO eSearch plus | EU trade marks, designs, owners, representatives, decisions | Yes | Confirmation before an EU trade mark filing |
| USPTO Trademark Search | US federal applications and registrations (active and inactive) | Yes | Confirmation for the US; state and unregistered rights must be searched separately |
| UKIPO (GOV.UK) | UK marks, comparable UK marks | Publicly available | Confirmation for the UK after Brexit |
| DPMAregister | German marks; EU and international registrations protected in Germany | Yes | Confirmation for Germany; similarity screening must be done manually |
| CNIPA trademark search | Applications and registrations in China | Publicly available | Confirmation for China, together with Chinese equivalents |
What the Databases Do Not Show: Coverage Gaps
No database shows all the rights in a market on its own. These are the gaps most often overlooked in an international trademark search:
- Offices outside the coverage: Multi-country databases include only the offices that share their data; the national records of some markets may not be available in these tools.
- Update delays: New applications reach the register and the aggregated databases over time; offices such as CNIPA point out this delay themselves.
- Language and script: A search in Latin characters does not catch equivalents in Chinese, Arabic or Cyrillic script, translations, or local pronunciations.
- Use-based rights: In some countries, unregistered use also creates rights; the USPTO notes that state registrations and unregistered marks do not appear in the federal database.
- Figurative elements: Image-search algorithms help, but they do not replace a search by figurative codes and the eye of a specialist; for the method, see our guide to trademark logo search.
How Does a Search Abroad Differ from a Search in Turkey?
The fundamental difference is that the law interpreting the result changes. The same search result can mean a different level of risk in different countries.
First, examination systems differ. The DPMA, for example, does not check for earlier similar marks at the application stage; a conflict only comes up when the holder of the earlier right takes action. That is why the thought "the office will not refuse it anyway" is misleading; the risk of opposition or litigation arises after filing.
Second, the weight given to use differs. In the United States, rights based on earlier use can affect a federal registration, so internet and market searches are needed in addition to the register search. Third, classification practice differs: many countries use the Nice Classification but may interpret the distinctions within a class differently. China, for example, assesses Nice classes by dividing them into its own subclasses; a record that looks "distant" within the same class in Turkey may lead to a different outcome there. Fourth, a language and meaning check is essential: a word that is neutral in Turkish may carry a negative meaning in the target language or be considered descriptive in that language. We have collected the general methods for confirming whether a mark is actually registered today in our article on how to check if a trademark is registered.
International Trademark Search Step by Step
The following order moves from a broad screening to a narrow confirmation and lets you devote your time to the riskiest markets:
- List your target countries: Rank your sales, manufacturing, marketplace and franchising plans by priority.
- Search Turkey first: Because a Madrid application will rest on the basic application or registration in Turkey, the base must be sound.
- Run a multi-country screening: Run identical, similar and image searches in WIPO Global Brand Database and TMview.
- Check Madrid records: Use Madrid Monitor to see whether the international registrations you found are protected in your target countries.
- Confirm on the national register: For key markets, check the offices' own tools, such as those of EUIPO, the USPTO, UKIPO, the DPMA or CNIPA.
- Check language and use: Research local pronunciation, meaning and unregistered use in the market.
- Have a local attorney interpret the result: Ask an attorney who knows the target country's law to assess any risky findings.
How Do You Connect the Search Result to Your Filing Decision?
The purpose of the search is to decide in which country, by which route and with what scope you will file. In markets that come out clean, you should not delay filing; in risky markets, you need to rethink the name, the scope or the strategy.
If you are targeting several countries, the Madrid System lets you designate them with a single application; but first check whether the target country is a party to the Madrid System. We have compiled the current members in our article on Madrid Protocol member countries. For a single market, or a country outside the Madrid System, a direct national filing may be more suitable. The soundest way to decide which route is right for you is an international trademark registration plan that addresses the choice of countries and classes together.
Timing is also part of the search. In countries party to the Paris Convention, if you file claiming priority within six months of the date of your first application in Turkey, your application in that country benefits from the Turkish filing date. That is why running the international search in the same period as the Turkish filing is the most effective way to get ahead of applications that might be filed in the meantime; the details are in our article on the trademark priority right.
The same logic applies in the other direction: a foreign company coming to Turkey should search the Turkish register just as thoroughly; we cover this scenario in our guide to trademark registration in Turkey for foreign companies.
Conclusion
Key takeaways:
- An international trademark search must be carried out separately; a clean result in Turkey says nothing about the target market.
- WIPO Global Brand Database and TMview are for the broad first screening, and Madrid Monitor for the country-by-country status of international registrations.
- The final word lies with the target country's register: confirm results in the offices' own tools, such as those of EUIPO, the USPTO, UKIPO, the DPMA and CNIPA.
- The USPTO's old TESS system was retired on November 30, 2023; the current tool is "Trademark Search".
- Language, script and use-based rights do not show up in the databases; have a local attorney interpret the result.
Shall We Search Your Mark in Your Target Markets Together?
Share your brand name, your logo if you have one, and the countries you are targeting through our contact page; we will assess your basic position on the Turkish register and the first screening results in your target markets, and tell you in writing which filing route suits which country.
