Trademark Law
Trademark law research involves primary legal sources such as statutes, cases, and administrative law. A compiled legislative history will be useful when you are trying to ascertain the legislative intent behind a particular trademark statute.
In most instances, it is best to begin your research with a review of secondary sources such as research guides, background materials, treatises, and law review articles. Secondary sources help you frame your questions before you begin researching "the law" and often provide references to primary sources, rules, or forms.
As you continue your research, you may want to consult current awareness tools to keep current on legal developments that may affect your research.
Practice materials such as forms or trademark registrations are available in print and electronic sources. Practice aids explain trademark registration practice and procedures. The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office is a great resource for basic information about the scope of trademark protection and how to apply for such protection.
Statutory Research
Statutory research requires searching the United States Code, then updating your research by searching for Public Laws not yet codified. Sources for trademark statutes in the United States Code are listed here. See the Federal Statutory Research guide for sources of public laws.
United States Code, Title 15, Chapter 22
Print: Law Pappas
LexisNexis: USCS - Title 15; Commerce and Trade
Westlaw: Federal Intellectual Property - U.S. Code Annotated (FIP-USCA database)
Internet: U.S. Trademark Law Rules of Practice & Federal Statutes via the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office
Legislative Histories
McCarthy on Trademarks contains references to legislative documents pertaining to trademark laws.
The following compiled legislative histories for trademark acts are available at the Pappas Law Library. See the Federal Legislative History Research guide for information on how to compile a legislative history for other trademarks statutes
The Trademark Law Revision Act of 1988 (Public Law 100-667): The Legislative History, Reports, Testimony, and Annotated Statutory Text
Print: Law Annex KF3177.12 1989
Case Law Research
Specialized reporters, finding tools, and electronic sources for trademark decisions are listed here. See the Federal Case Law Research guide for general Federal case reporters, digests, and other case finding tools.
Reporters
The United States Patents Quarterly
Print: Law Annex KF 2975 A2 U5
Online: BNA Intellectual Property Library
Finding tools
The United States Patents Quarterly. Annual Digest.
Print: Law Annex KF 2975 A2 U51
Electronic Sources for Copyright Decisions
LexisNexis: Federal Trademark, Unfair Competition, and Trade Secret Cases
Westlaw: Federal Intellectual Property - Cases (FIP-CS database)
Administrative Law Research
Regulatory research requires searching the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), then updating your research with the Federal Register. Sources for trademark regulations are listed here. See the Federal Administrative Law Research guide for further guidance on finding and updating federal regulations.
Code of Federal Regulations, Title 37, Chapter I
Print: Law Pappas
LexisNexis: Federal Register and CFR - Trademark Notices
Westlaw: Federal Intellectual Property - Code of Federal Regulations (FIP-CFR database)
Internet: Code of Federal Regulations Title 37 via HeinOnline (1938-1983)
Internet: CFR Title 37 Chapter I via GPO Access
Internet: U. S. Trademark Law Rules of Practice & Federal Statutes via the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office
Federal Register
Print: Law Pappas (current 6 mos.), Law Annex KF 70 A2
LexisNexis: Federal Register and CFR - Trademark Notices
Westlaw: Federal Intellectual Property - Federal Register (FIP-FR database)
Internet: Federal Register via HeinOnline
Internet: Federal Register via GPO Access
Agency Decisions
The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board adjudicates disputes relating to the registration of trademarks. The Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks hears other matters by petition.
Trademark Trial and Appeal Board
LexisNexis: US Trademark Trial and Appeal Board Decisions
Westlaw: Patent & Trademark Office Decisions (FIP-PTO database)
The United States Patents Quarterly
Print: Law Annex KF 2975 A2 U5
Online: BNA Intellectual Property Library
Commissioner of Patents
Decisions of the Commissioner of Patents
Print: Law Annex KF 2980 .A2 (1869-1968)
LexisNexis: USPTO Commissioner of Patents and Trademark Decisions (1981-present)
Westlaw: Patent & Trademark Office Decisions (FIP-PTO database)
HeinOnline: Decisions of the Commissioner of Patents and of the United States Courts in Patent and Trademark Cases (1869-1968)The United States Patents Quarterly
Print: Law Annex KF 2975 A2 U5
Online: BNA Intellectual Property Library
Secondary Sources
Research Guide
"Federal Patent & Trademark Law", chapter 11 of Specialized Legal Research provides exhaustive coverage of trademark law sources in print and electronic formats.
Print: Law Ref Desk KF 240 .S63 (current through 2002)
Background Reading
Basic Facts About Trademarks
Internet: Basic Facts About Trademarks (USPTO)The Law of Unfair Competition, Trademarks and Monopolies (Callman)
Print: Law Reserve KF 1609.C36
Major Treatises and Looseleaf Services
McCarthy on Trademarks and Unfair Competition
Print: Law Reserve KF 3180 M3 (current through 2002)
Westlaw: McCarthy on Trademarks and Unfair Competition (MCCARTHY database)Trademark Protection and Practice
Print: Law Reserve KF 3181 .G55
LexisNexis: Gilson on Trademark Protection & Practice
Finding Articles in Journals and Law Reviews
Specific sources for articles on copyright law are listed here. For a detailed guide on finding legal articles, see Find Articles in Legal Journals.
LexisNexis: Intellectual Property Law Reviews
Westlaw: Federal Intellectual Property Texts and Periodicals Combined (IP-TP database)
Current Awareness
BNA's Patent, Trademark & Copyright Journal
Print: Law Looseleaf KF 2972 .P38
Online: BNA's Patent, Trademark & Copyright JournalTrademark Reporter
Print: Law AnnexThe United States Patents Quarterly
Print: Law Annex KF 2975 A2 U5
Online: BNA Intellectual Property Library
Practice Materials
Forms
American Jurisprudence Legal Forms (v.17)
Print: Law Reference KF 170 .A41
Westlaw: AMJUR-LFCurrent Legal Forms, with Tax Analysis (v.2)
Print: Law Reference KF 6286 R3
LexisNexis: MATBEN;CLFTANichols' Cyclopedia of Legal Forms Annotated (v.8A)
Print: Law Reference KF 170 .N5
Westlaw: NICHOLS-LFWest's Legal Forms: Patents--Trademarks--Copyrights (v.25)
Print: Law Reference KF170 .L53
Westlaw: WEST-LF
Internet: U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: Trademark Forms
Trademark Practice Aids
Preparing U.S. Trademark Applications: Avoiding Common Mistakes
Print: Law Annex KF3180 .A93 2002Trademark Registration Practice
Print: Law Annex KF 3181 .H39
Westlaw: Trademark Registration Practice (TMREGPRAC database)
Trademark Manual of Examining Procedure (TMEP)
Print: Law Annex KF3181 .T74 2005
LexisNexis: Trademark Manual of Examining Procedure
Westlaw: Trademark Manual of Examining Procedure (FIP-TMEP database)
Internet: Trademark Manual of Examining Procedure via U.S. Patent & Trademark OfficeTrademark Acceptable Identification of Goods and Services Manual
Internet: U.S. Patent & Trademark OfficeOfficial Gazette of the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office - Patent and Trademark Notices
Print: Mugar Microfilm T223A .E72 (1872-1975), T223 .A23 (1976-date).
Internet: Patent and Trademark OG Notices (1995-date)
Trademark Searching
There are many sources for trademark searching. Bibliographic searches allow you to search descriptive information about trademarks. Full-text searches retrieve the description of the trademark as well as any drawings associated with a registered trademark. The Trademark Official Gazette lists trademark registrations issued each week and those published for opposition.
For a guide on trademark searching on the Internet, see:
Patent, Trademark, and Copyright Searching on the Internet
Print: Law Ref Desk T 210 .S53 2000
Bibliographic Search
Index of Trademarks Issued from the United States Patent and Trademark Office
Print: Law Annex T 223 .V4 A2 (selected 1927-1997)
Full Text Trademark Registrations
LexisNexis: Federal Trademarks
Westlaw: TRADEMARKSCAN - U.S. - Federal (Dialog) (FIP-TM database)
Internet: Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS) via the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office
Trademark Official Gazette
Internet: U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (most recent 5 issues)
U.S. Patent & Trademark Office
The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office web site provides a variety of resources regarding trademarks.
Consult Basic Facts About Trademarks an informative guide that explains the differences between different types of intellectual property. Frequently Asked Questions About Trademarks provides more details about trademark registration, trademark searching, and applications for trademark registration.
Page maintained by Raquel Ortiz
Last updated: April 2008