How to Search USPTO Trademarks by Owner or Applicant
Searching for a trademark by owner helps you identify federal applications and registrations associated with a person or company. Here is how to use the current USPTO Trademark Search system (which replaced the retired TESS), including owner-field searching, name variations, and follow-up record checks.
Why search by owner
An owner search answers a different question from a mark-name search: which federal applications and registrations are associated with a person or business? Use it for competitive research, diligence, portfolio audits, and confirming an owner of record. A result is an investigative starting point, not conclusive proof of present ownership or unrestricted rights.
- Review brands and related marks held under a company name.
- Check status, goods and services, and relevant classes.
- Investigate apparent ownership before licensing, purchase, or enforcement.
How to run an owner search
Open the current USPTO Trademark Search system at tmsearch.uspto.gov. Use the search builder to search the owner field, or switch on expert mode and enter a field tag. The USPTO’s field-tag guide lists ON: for owner name and OW: for owner name, address or entity; for example, ON:"john smith". Field tags must be in capital letters followed by a colon, search terms should be lowercase, and you cannot combine field tags with the drop-down search. Search again using reasonable name variations, then open individual records rather than relying solely on the results grid.
- Check each record’s serial or registration number, status, and goods/services.
- Use live/dead filtering to sort your review, but do not assume a dead record is irrelevant to a broader clearance assessment.
- Save exact identifying numbers for later verification in TSDR.
Handle entity-name variations
Searching only one precise legal name may miss marks filed under previous names, alternate punctuation, related entities, or subsidiaries. Search the distinctive portion of the name and then variants. The results must be assessed carefully: similar company names do not necessarily identify the same legal owner. Where ownership is material, investigate changes in entity name or assignments before making a conclusion.
Owner of record vs. assignee: watch for assignments
An assignment transfers a party’s interest in a mark, subject to applicable law. Search records may not always tell the complete story of a recent transaction. Review the application or registration in TSDR, relevant recorded assignment information, and supporting documentation when ownership matters. The assignor is the transferring party; the assignee is the receiving party. For more on these terms, see our explainer on assignor vs. assignee.
From a name to a full picture
An owner search provides a preliminary inventory of federal filings, not a full legal title opinion and not comprehensive trademark clearance. Combine it with status and document review for individual cases, and search relevant nonfederal sources when evaluating whether a new brand can be used. The USPTO’s comprehensive-search guidance explains why federal results are only one part of the picture.