Open USPTO Trademark Search
Search the mark or use the system’s available field/query options.
Trademark Search
How to Search for Dead Trademarks at the USPTO
Use the current USPTO Trademark Search system to discover records, then use TSDR to inspect the current status and documents for the specific serial or registration number. Search is discovery; TSDR is the record-level verification layer.
Trademark research path
- 1Discover candidate marks
- 2Check case identifiers
- 3Verify with TSDR
Data company workflowNormalize / qualify / verify / deliver
On this page
Direct answer
Use Trademark Search for discovery and TSDR for record-level status detail
USPTO’s current Trademark Search replaced TESS in November 2023. Search results can help you locate live/dead records and relevant applications/registrations. For a specific record, TSDR lets you check status and view documents using the serial or registration number.
Dead trademark search workflow
Narrow the results
Use the live/dead and other supported filters appropriate to your research.
Confirm the record
Check the serial number, registration number, owner/applicant and mark details.
Open TSDR
Use the identifier to review current status and the document/event history.
Interpret the underlying outcome
Determine whether the record is an abandoned application, canceled/expired registration or another inactive outcome.
Why search results are not enough for bulk commercial data
A person can manually search individual records, but a professional dataset usually needs consistent qualification, normalization, deduplication and provenance across many records. That is the difference between a search interface and a data product.
A person can manually search individual records, but a professional dataset usually needs consistent qualification, normalization, deduplication and provenance across many records. That is the difference between a search interface and a data product.
Search questions
Is TESS still the current USPTO trademark search system?
No. USPTO retired TESS on November 30, 2023 and uses the current Trademark Search system.
Can I export search results?
USPTO Trademark Search supports export features, but a raw export is not the same as a custom qualified dataset.
Should I rely only on the live/dead filter?
No. For a specific record, review the status and lifecycle context rather than treating the broad flag as the full explanation.
Manual search and bulk data answer different needs
One-record research
Trademark Search and TSDR are appropriate when you are investigating a known mark or a small number of records.
Repeatable cohort research
A defined dataset is more useful when the question involves hundreds or thousands of records, date windows or repeatable qualification rules.
Commercial lead data
The value is not the existence of a search result; it is the defined filters, verification point, provenance, deduplication and delivery structure applied to the cohort.
What to capture when a dead-search result matters
| Capture | Reason |
|---|---|
| Serial / registration identifier | Lets you reopen and verify the exact USPTO record. |
| Broad live/dead state | Useful orientation but not enough to explain why the record is inactive. |
| Current case status | Adds the more specific record-level posture. |
| Relevant status/event date | Provides the time dimension for freshness and cohort filtering. |
| TSDR event/document context | Helps explain the underlying lifecycle event rather than inferring from the search result alone. |
Dead trademark search questions
Can I use Trademark Search alone to decide that a dead mark is available?
No. A dead status is not a legal clearance conclusion. Broader trademark research and legal analysis may still be necessary.
Why use TSDR after finding a dead record?
TSDR provides record-level status and documents that help explain the lifecycle context behind the search result.
What changes when I need thousands of records?
The problem becomes one of data modeling: defining the cohort, normalizing fields, verifying inclusion, controlling duplicates and documenting provenance.
Can a dead-search dataset be limited by date or other filters?
Supported custom orders can combine the dead/inactive cohort with date, class, geography, representation and available contact-field criteria where the source/workflow supports them.
Need hundreds or thousands of filtered records?
Request a defined dead/abandoned cohort with the fields and qualification rules you need.