System to inform about trademarks similar to provided input

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present invention generally relate to trademark searching and notification systems. More specifically, various embodiments of the present invention relate to systems and methods for informing requesters about trademarks similar to a provided input. Some embodiments of the present invention provide for a proactive system in which users are notified of similar trademarks before using specific term(s) and users proceed after understanding which trademarks actually exist and what areas those trademarks actually entail, and possibly being notified of newly applied trademarks and modified trademarks at later times that are similar to the specific term(s) being used.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A processor-implemented method comprising:
 receiving owner data for a first trademark;   receiving, from an entity and by a first computer system including a processor, a request to add trademark data for the first trademark to a database;   verifying a first part of the trademark data; and   adding, after verifying the first part of the trademark data and by a second computer system including a processor, a second part of the trademark data to the database.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 verifying, prior to adding the second part of the trademark data to the database, the owner data for the first trademark.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the entity is the owner of the first trademark or a designated party. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the entity submits the trademark data for the first trademark to the receiver of the request via at least one of a web form, e-mail, or telephone. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a first party submits the trademark data for the first trademark to a repository of such trademark data, wherein the entity, using the repository, submits the trademark data for the first trademark to the receiver of the request to add the trademark data. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least a part of the trademark data in the database is updated regularly against its respective source. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the database is searched for a second trademark. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein, when the database is searched for the second trademark, the search is done by a registry, wherein the registry is not the party that added the second part of the trademark data to the database. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first part and the second part of the trademark data are each all of the trademark data. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first computer system and the second computer system are the same computer system. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the owner data is part of the trademark data for the first trademark. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the trademark data includes at least one of a trademark date, a trademark status, a trademark class, a trademark serial number/identifier, a trademark image, a trademark description, a jurisdiction for a trademark, or a legal precedent such as a past lawsuit/dispute over use of a trademark. 
     
     
         13 . A processor-implemented method comprising:
 receiving, from a requester and by a computer system including a processor, a request to perform a trademark search for a provided input;   searching, by the computer system, a database for a trademark related to the provided input;   determining, by the computer system, a trademark that is similar to the provided input; and   generating, by the computer system, a notification based at least in part on the similar trademark.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the provided input is similar to a trademark when the provided input is considered an identical match to the trademark. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the provided input is similar to a trademark when the provided input is considered a typo of the trademark. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the requester is a domain name registrar, wherein the request was generated in response to an end-user seeking to register an internet domain, and wherein the receiver of the request is a registry. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the provided input is a domain name, an e-mail address, an instant messaging user name, or an advertisement. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the requester is an end-user, wherein the request to perform the trademark search was generated by a domain name registrar, and wherein the request for the trademark search was generated in response to the end-user visiting a website of the domain name registrar and typing in an internet domain name. 
     
     
         19 . A processor-implemented method comprising:
 receiving, from a requester and by a computer system including a processor, a request to subscribe to an ancillary trademark-monitoring service and an associated trademark;   receiving, by the computer system, a request for an internet domain;   searching, by the computer system, a database for the internet domain;   determining, by the computer system and in response to the subscription request, that the internet domain is similar to the associated trademark;   causing generation of a notice of the similar trademark; and   causing the notice to be presented to the requester.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the internet domain is similar to a trademark when the internet domain is considered an identical match to the trademark. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the internet domain is similar to a trademark when the internet domain is considered a typo of the trademark.