​Deciding whether you need to register a business name, a trademark or both is an important decision. Registering your business name alone does not establish trademark rights.

Our office only compares business names to other names in the Oregon Business Registry database for availability.

What is the Difference?

A business name is the name that a comp​any uses to do business.

A trademark is any word, phrase, symbol, design or combination thereof that identifies and distinguishes one source of goods or services from another. A trademark is used to help establish and protect intellectual property rights, including a business name.

When Should You File Both?

If a business name is used on the product​s themselves to identify the source, it may also be a trademark.

Resources

The United ​States Patent and Trademark Office provides comprehensive information. 

Find existing trademarks using the Oregon Secretary of State Trademark search:

• Trademark images can be displayed, including the filed registration form:
• Scroll right in the window and click the trademark's Image Link.
• Click any of the PDF's links that display
• Click "View/Download" to view or download the registration and filed images.