NAMECHECK50 for Trademark Attorneys
The state entity registry layer of your clearance workflow. All 50 states, 90 seconds, $7.50 per name — built for checking a client’s candidate names and brand variants before full clearance.
Search all 50 states →Where This Fits in Your Clearance Workflow
A trademark practice’s clearance work spans several layers: USPTO federal registrations, common-law and unregistered use, international registers, and — the layer NAMECHECK50 covers — state business entity registrations. An entity actively registered under a client’s proposed name (or a confusingly similar one) in several states is worth knowing about early: it can signal accumulated common-law rights, it’s a real risk factor for opposition, and it’s a cheap, fast check compared to the trademark-specific layers.
NAMECHECK50 runs that state entity check across all 50 registries simultaneously, live, in 60–90 seconds for $7.50 — fast enough to run as a routine part of the knockout stage, before deciding whether a candidate name is worth escalating to full clearance. See our knockout search page for how this pairs with the USPTO TESS pass, or the full trademark clearance search guide for the complete methodology.
Checking Variants, Not Just One Name
Naming and clearance work rarely involves a single candidate. A client proposes a name, then a spelling variant, then a shortened form, then an alternate spelling of the same brand — and each one needs its own entity check before you know which candidate is actually worth pursuing through full clearance. NAMECHECK50 runs one name per search across all 50 states; checking three to five variants for a single naming matter costs $22.50–$37.50 in total, run as separate searches for each variant.
That’s meaningfully cheaper than discovering a conflict after full clearance has already been ordered on a name the client ultimately can’t use commercially in a key market.
What the Report Gives You
Each search returns a state-by-state breakdown suitable for a clearance memo or opinion letter:
- Which states show an entity registered under a matching or similar name
- The conflicting entity’s legal name, entity type, and current status
- A direct link to the official state source record for each match
- A timestamp establishing exactly when the search was run, for documentation
The report is the raw material for the state-registry portion of a clearance opinion — delivered in one pass rather than 50 separate portal checks.
Pricing for Variant-Heavy Work
| Scenario | Searches | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Single candidate name | 1 | $7.50 |
| Typical naming matter (3 variants) | 3 | $22.50 |
| Enterprise name search service, single state | 1 | $109 |
Credits never expire, so a pack can be drawn against across an entire caseload rather than purchased matter by matter. See our general attorney pricing page for volume pack details.
Check your client's next candidate name across all 50 states
$7.50 per name. Results in 90 seconds. No subscription.
Start your search →Frequently asked questions
Does NAMECHECK50 replace a full trademark clearance search?
No. NAMECHECK50 covers the state business entity registry layer — a live check across all 50 states for existing entities registered under a proposed name or its variants. It does not search the USPTO federal trademark database, common-law use, or international registers. It is the fast, cheap knockout-stage screen and the entity-conflict layer that most clearance search products don't cover well — not a substitute for the trademark-specific search or your own legal analysis.
Why would a trademark attorney need a state entity registry search at all?
Two reasons come up constantly in naming and clearance work. First, clients propose several candidate names or spelling variants during the naming process, and checking whether each one is already an active, registered business somewhere is a fast, cheap early filter before any trademark-specific spend. Second, an entity actively registered under the same or a confusingly similar name in multiple states is a genuine signal worth flagging in a clearance opinion — it can indicate accumulated common-law rights or a real risk of market confusion, independent of what the USPTO database shows.
We check three to five name variants per matter. Does pricing make sense at that volume?
At $7.50 per name, checking five variants for one matter costs $37.50 — run as five separate searches, since each search covers one name across all 50 states. Volume credit packs bring the per-search cost down further for firms running variant checks regularly across multiple matters. Credits never expire, so you can build up a pack and draw against it across an entire caseload rather than buying per matter.
Can results go directly into a clearance opinion or memo?
Yes. Each search returns a timestamped, state-by-state report: which states show a conflicting entity registration, the conflicting entity's name, type, and status, and a direct link to the official state source record. That timestamp and source link matter for documentation — the report shows exactly what the state registry showed at the moment you ran it, with a citable source for each result.
How does this fit into a knockout search workflow specifically?
Run the state entity layer alongside your USPTO TESS pass as the knockout stage — before deciding whether a name is worth escalating to a full clearance search or opinion. A name that clears the knockout stage moves forward to full clearance; a name that surfaces an obvious conflict gets eliminated before you or your client spend on the comprehensive search. See our dedicated page on knockout search for the full workflow.
Is this useful outside of new-brand clearance work?
Yes — trademark counsel also use nationwide entity search for opposition research (checking whether an opposing party has related entities registered elsewhere), for investigating potential infringement patterns across states, and for due diligence on a brand or entity before an assignment or licensing deal. Business registrations are public records, so a nationwide search requires no discovery process.