Trademark search Australia: your questions, answered

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.

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.

No. Trademark Search Australia is an independent service. Register data is retrieved live from IP Australia’s Australian Trade Mark Search API, and every result links to its official record so you can check it at the source.

The Search covers word marks, which is where most conflicts begin. Logos and device marks are searched differently, by image and design codes, and a slogan deserves its own search if it will carry real weight in your branding.

Yes, if you can. Conflict turns on the goods and services involved. When you describe what you sell, The Search maps it to likely Nice classes and lifts candidates in the same or related classes, so the results that matter most rise to the top.

Yes. There is no account, no card and no limit designed to push you into a paid plan. Search as many names as you are considering.

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.

High priority marks are exact or very close matches. Context priority marks are close matches in the same or related classes as the goods or services you entered. Broader variants are plural, spelling, spacing and sound-alike candidates worth a look. Lower priority marks are matches unlikely to conflict on their face. Individual word checks show hits on a single distinctive word inside a longer name. See how to read a result.

Often not. The same word can coexist in unrelated trades. The exceptions are very well-known marks and trades that are closer than the class numbers suggest, such as clothing and the retail of clothing. Read Nice classes, explained.

A pending mark is an application that has been filed but not yet registered. It has an earlier filing date than yours, so it can still be cited against a later application. Read pending trade marks.

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.

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.

No. Registering a business name, company name or domain does not give you exclusive rights in a brand. A registered trade mark does, for the goods and services it covers. Read business name vs trade mark.

No. The register is national and The Search works anywhere, on any device. The result is the same in Perth, Brisbane or Hobart.

Search queries are sent to our API and on to IP Australia to run the search. They are not saved to a database or used for marketing. Read the privacy note.