Top Resources on Trademarking in the United States

Updated: 5/17/2018

The Internet is packed with information about trademarking in the United States. In fact, there’s so much information that pinpointing authoritative sources can be tricky. Below, we’ve compiled 50 of the best, most reliable online sources of U.S. trademarking information. They’re culled from official government and educational sources as well as publications, blogs, documents and online forums.

Official Government Resources

1. Trademark Basics by the United States Patent and Trademark Office – Features a selection of articles about trademarking law in the United States.
2. The USPTO’s Official Guide to the Trademark Process – The basic steps of obtaining a trademark in the United States are highlighted in this convenient article. This resource is updated as needed to conform with current laws.
3. Intellectual Property Law by the Small Business Administration – An assortment of resources that are geared toward small business owners who want to learn more about U.S. trademark and intellectual property laws.
4. Protecting Intellectual Property Overseas – This resource, which is published by the USPTO, includes toolkits for handling intellectual property issues in several different countries and in-depth information about protecting intellectual property overseas.
5. Trademarks FAQs – A variety of FAQs about trademarks and intellectual property issues. This page is updated regularly by the USPTO.
6. Records of the Patent and Trademark Office – This page, which is maintained by the National Archives, explains how to find specific patent and trademark records.
7. Trademark Search – This searchable database, which is maintained by the USPTO, is an invaluable resource for anyone who is looking for information about trademarking in the United States.

Educational Resources about Trademarking in the U.S.

1. Trademark Law Research Guide – The Georgetown Law Library has compiled a list of resources for researching trademark laws in the United States, and they are listed here.
2. Domain Names and Trademarks – This web page is provided by Harvard Law School, and it features information about domain names and trademarks. Recent case studies and a wealth of other information are included.
3. Trademarking Basics – A broad array of information about U.S. trademarking is featured on this page, which is maintained by Cornell University Law School.

Online Documents about Trademarking in the U.S.

1. U.S. Trademark Law – The most recent version of this important publication can be found here.
2. An Outline of US Copyright, Patent and Trademark Law – Extensive information about U.S. copyright, trademark and patent laws. Includes a brief history of such laws and definitions for important terms and concepts.
3. Protecting Your Trademark – Information from the USPTO about protecting trademarks and related topics.
4. The Lanham Act – A complete version of the Lanham Act, which is often referred to as the trademark act, can be found here.

Articles and Publications about U.S. Trademarking

1. Official Gazette of the USPTO – The go-to source for information about U.S. trademarks, patents and copyrights. Issues are organized by year and date all the way back to 1995.
2. Patent, Trademark and Copyright Journal – Highlights up-to-date information about U.S. trademark and copyright laws. A great resource to use for current information about recent court cases regarding this area of law.
3. Patent, Trademark u0026amp; Copyright Law Daily – Although this publication primarily focuses on the United States, intellectual property topics concerning other countries are featured as well. A variety of topics are covered each day, including online copyright infringement issues.
4. Intellectual Property Law Resource Center – More than 80 years of case law are featured in this informative publication, which also provides analysis of current copyright and trademark issues, intellectual property law news and more.
5. World Trademark Review Daily – This site pulls together current publications that deal with trademark and copyright topics, and it is updated on a regular basis.
6. Journal of Business u0026amp; Intellectual Property Law – This publication, which is produced by Wake Forest University, is an excellent resource for anyone who is looking for information about intellectual property law, including U.S. trademark laws and regulations.
7. Print Publications Concerning Trademark Law – If print publications about U.S. trademark law are needed, this is a great place to find them.
8. Trademark News and Notices – For current news about U.S. trademark laws and related information, it pays to check out this resource. It is maintained by the USPTO, and it is updated regularly.
9. Trademarks and Trade Names Articles by the New York Times – The New York Times uses a filter to group together articles concerning trademarks and trade names, so this is a great place to look for information about these kinds of topics.

Blogs about U.S. Trademarking

1. Anticipate This! Patent and Trademark Blog – This interesting blog highlights unusual patents and other issues regarding patents, trademarks, copyrights and intellectual property in the U.S.
2. Trademark u0026amp; Copyright Law Blog – This interesting blog features posts about trademark and copyright law and has an emphasis on the United States. Posts are categorized with tags, which makes it easy to find relevant information.
3. Pierce Law Center IP Mall – To find current information and blogs concerning intellectual property law and related topics, this is an excellent resource to use.
4. Biederman Blog – At first glance, this looks like a celebrity gossip site. In reality, it is a law blog that happens to focus on the entertainment industry.
5. Business+Intellectual Property+Internet Law Blog – For a unique perspective on current U.S. trademarking issues, cases and related topics, be sure to check out this blog. It is posted by an attorney who offers advice and opinions about a wide range of issues.
6. Dear Rich: Nolo’s Intellectual Property Blog – With its question-and-answer format, this blog takes a unique approach to highlighting trademark, copyright, patent and intellectual property topics.
7. Gill IP – This is another intellectual property blog that is published by a practicing attorney. Posts generally revolve around current news stories involving intellectual property laws.
8. IP in Brief – Each post on this blog quickly and succinctly touches upon a current trademark or copyright issue. Posts are usually written by the lawyer who runs the blog, but guest posts appear as well.
9. The BHBA IP u0026amp; New Media Blog – It’s easy to find posts about a variety of topics that relate to intellectual property law, trademarks and related issues on this regularly updated blog.
10. Trademarks and Brands – To find up-to-date information about trademarks and brands, make sure to check out this interesting blog. It is updated on a regular basis, and it features posts that relate to such topics.
11. IP Brief – This blog is published by American University. In addition to featuring new posts almost daily, it has a very active readership, so there are usually interesting conversations to follow as well.

Miscellaneous Online Resources about Trademarking in the U.S.

1. How to Get a Trademark Application – This resource is geared toward inventors, but anyone who wants to learn more about getting a trademark will learn a lot from it.
2. Copyright vs. Trademark vs. Patent – It’s easy to get confused about these terms, but this resource lays it all out in an easy-to-understand way.
3. Trademark Infringement – To learn more about trademark infringement, including the criteria that are used to determine whether it is happening or not, take a look at this site.
4. Trademark Infringement on the Internet – This resource has an emphasis on online trademark infringement, which is becoming a bigger issue every day.
5. How to Report Trademark Infringement – If trademark infringement is suspected, it can and should be reported. This site explains how to do it.
6. How to File a Trademark – This post take an in-depth look at what is involved in filing for a trademark.
7. How to Register a Trademark for a Company Name – Business owners will be especially interested in this resource, which includes steps on trademarking a company name.
8. Intellectual Property Forums – Ask questions about trademark-related issues and get answers on these forums.