The best brand names are searched before anyone falls in love with them
Introducing
The Search
Search the register the way an examiner reads it
Most brand problems are not identical names. They are near misses: the extra letter, the plural, the word that sounds the same across a counter. The Search asks those questions for you, live against IP Australia’s register, and puts what matters at the top.
It is the first hour of a professional clearance, done in seconds, for free. What you do with the answer is up to you.
The Search · No. 001
Search the register
For anyone about to name something
Founders choosing a first name, businesses about to rebrand, designers presenting three options to a client. The Search is built for the moment before money is spent on a logo, a domain, packaging or a filing.
Run every name on the shortlist. Keep the ones that come back clean and distinctive.
Read real result patterns
Reading · High priority
Exact match, same class
An identical word, registered, covering the goods or services you intend to sell, is the result that matters most. Filing over it is likely to draw an objection, and using it can invite a dispute with an owner whose rights are already granted.
Look at three things on the record: the classes, the specification wording inside those classes, and the owner. A mark registered for coffee beans and your café brand are not in the same class, but they are close in trade.
Reading · Broader variant
Sound-alike, different spelling
Deceptive similarity is judged on sound and idea as well as appearance. Customers often meet a brand by ear: a recommendation, a podcast, a phone order. MERIDIAN and MERRIDIEN look different on a page and sound identical across a counter.
The Search generates phonetic and fuzzy candidates for this reason. Most will be noise. The ones that share the same syllables, in a related trade, are worth reading slowly.
Reading · Context priority
A pending application, filed first
Australia ranks applications by priority date, which is usually the filing date. A pending mark filed before yours can be cited against your application even though it is not yet registered.
Pending does not mean certain. The earlier application may be refused, withdrawn or narrowed. But it sits ahead of you in the queue, and its outcome can decide yours.
Reading · Context priority
Different class, related trade
Class numbers are an administrative filing system, not the test for conflict. The question is whether the goods and services are similar or closely related. Clothing in class 25 and retail services for clothing in class 35 are a classic example of different classes that still collide.
When you add what you sell, The Search maps your words to likely classes and lifts candidates in the same and related areas, so these overlaps come to the top.
Honest by design
A free tool is only useful if it is clear about its limits. Here is exactly what The Search does, and what it leaves to you.
What The Search checks
Word marks on the Australian Trade Marks Register with a status of registered or pending. For each name it runs the full phrase, plural and spacing forms, close spellings, phonetic and fuzzy candidates, and the distinctive words inside the name, then reads every matching record back from IP Australia.
What it does not check
Logos and device marks, unregistered use in the market, business names, domains and overseas registers. It does not give a legal opinion on deceptive similarity, and a clear result does not guarantee a mark can be used or registered.
How results are ranked
Every candidate lands in one of five groups: high priority, context priority, broader variant, lower priority and individual word check. Add what you sell and candidates in the same and related classes rise to the top.
Where the data comes from
Live from IP Australia’s Australian Trade Mark Search API, queried by our own server at the moment you search. Every result links to its official record so you can check it at the source.
Who it is for
Founders naming something new, businesses about to rebrand, designers presenting name options, and anyone about to spend on packaging, signage or a filing who wants to know where they stand first.
How a mark becomes registered
Stage 01SecondsSearch & clearance
Screen the register for identical, similar and sound-alike marks in the classes you need, then proceed, refine or rename while the brand is still flexible.
- Search the exact name and its variants
- Check registered and pending marks
- Test for distinctiveness
- Choose the classes you actually trade in
Stage 02Day 0Application
The mark is filed with IP Australia: the owner, the exact sign, and a specification of goods and services in each class. The filing date becomes your priority date.
- Confirm the correct legal owner
- Decide word mark, logo, or both
- Use the picklist where it fits
- Pay the per-class fee
Stage 03≈ 3 monthsExamination
An examiner checks the application against earlier marks and for distinctiveness. Problems come back as an adverse report, with time to respond.
- Earlier conflicting marks
- Descriptiveness and distinctiveness
- Specification wording and classes
- Formalities and ownership
Stage 042 monthsAcceptance & opposition
Once accepted, the application is advertised. For two months, anyone may oppose registration on grounds such as an earlier mark or prior use.
- Acceptance is published
- The opposition window opens
- Notice of intention to oppose, then grounds
- Most marks move through unchallenged
Stage 05≥ 7.5 monthsRegistration
The mark is entered on the register and the ® symbol may be used. Protection runs ten years from the filing date, renewable indefinitely.
- Entered on the register
- Use the ® symbol
- Ten years from filing
- Renewable indefinitely
Stage 06OngoingOngoing management
Use the mark, watch for conflicting filings and renew on time. A registration left unused for three years can become vulnerable to removal.
- Keep using the mark as registered
- Watch new filings
- Act early on conflicts
- Renew every ten years
Why The Search
Live register. No stale database. Every search goes to IP Australia’s register through our own API.
Variant engine. Plural, spacing, spelling and sound-alike forms, searched rather than guessed.
Class aware. Tell it what you sell and the same and related classes rise to the top.
Linked records. Every candidate opens its official record, so you can check the source yourself.
Your questions, answered
What is a free trademark search in Australia?
A free trademark search is a first check of the Australian trade marks register to see whether a proposed brand name, or something close to it, is already registered or pending. The Search runs that check live against IP Australia’s register and expands it into plural, spacing, spelling and sound-alike variants, so you see more than the exact match.
How is this different from searching IP Australia myself?
IP Australia’s own search tools are the authoritative source, and The Search uses the same register data. The difference is the questions asked. A typical manual search looks for the exact words. The Search turns one name into up to a dozen queries, reads each record back, removes duplicates and ranks candidates by how closely they match and how close their classes are to what you sell.
Neither tool gives a legal opinion on whether two marks are deceptively similar. That judgement weighs sound, look, idea and the overlap in trade.
Does a clear result mean my trade mark is available?
No. A clear-looking result is a good early signal, not a guarantee. An application can still be refused if the mark is descriptive or not distinctive, and a similar logo or earlier unregistered use can still create risk. Use the result to decide how far to take your checks before you file.
How long does trade mark registration take in Australia?
An application is generally examined within about three months of filing. If it is accepted, it is advertised and can be opposed for two months. Registration cannot happen earlier than seven and a half months from the filing date, and protection then lasts ten years, renewable indefinitely. Read how long registration takes.
How much does it cost to register a trade mark?
The Search is free. IP Australia’s application fees are charged per class: $250 per class for a standard application using the picklist, or $400 per class with your own wording, as published by IP Australia in November 2026. Read trade mark fees in Australia.
From the field guide
From idea to registered
One name in, the Australian register read back in seconds. Free, and nothing to sign up for.