What a trademark watch service does
Before a trademark is registered, the office publishes it, so that anyone who believes the new mark would harm them can object. That window is the opposition period: 30 days in the US, 2 months in the UK. A watch service reads each new publication, compares every mark in it with yours and tells you about the close ones while the window is still open.
Without a watch, you usually learn about a look-alike mark only when it is registered and in use. The opposition period is the time to object before registration; once a mark is registered, removing it takes a separate action — a cancellation in the US, an invalidation in the UK.
What we read
- United States — the USPTO Trademark Official Gazette, every Tuesday. The issue of 20 October 2026 had 10,666 marks published for opposition.
- United Kingdom — the UK IPO Trade Marks Journal, every Friday. Issue 2026/042 of 16 October 2026 had 3,641 marks: 3,078 UK applications and 563 international registrations designating the UK.
We read every entry of every issue, not a sample.
What you see for each similar mark
- the new mark and why it looks like yours: the same words, a sound-alike, a near spelling, or your mark inside a longer one;
- its classes, so you can tell whether it covers what you sell;
- the owner;
- the last day to oppose, and how many days are left;
- a link to the official record at the USPTO or the UK IPO.
That is what the free check shows today, for the marks published over the last year.
This week’s look-alikes
From the USPTO Official Gazette of Oct 20, 2026 and the UK Trade Marks Journal of Oct 23, 2026: a common word a brand might watch, and a new mark the check finds for it.
| New mark | If you watched | What the check says | Last day to oppose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nova Verde SoftwareUK00004455637 ↗ | NOVA, classes 9 and 35 | Contains your mark: NOVA in NOVA VERDE SOFTWARE | Dec 23 · 60 days left |
| APEX SCENTUS 99839684 ↗ | APEX, class 9 | Contains your mark: APEX in APEX SCENT | Nov 19 · 26 days left |
| FOOD REVOLUTION SUMMITUS 98518914 ↗ | SUMMIT, class 41 | Contains your mark: SUMMIT in FOOD REVOLUTION SUMMIT | Nov 19 · 26 days left |
| MERIDIANUS 99849885 ↗ | MERIDIAN, class 42 | Same as your mark | Nov 19 · 26 days left |
Updated with every issue. The owners are not named here; the free check and the official record show them. A mark that looks similar is not always a conflict.
How long you have to act
| United States | United Kingdom | |
|---|---|---|
| Where new marks appear | USPTO Trademark Official Gazette, every Tuesday | UK IPO Trade Marks Journal, every Friday |
| Time to oppose | 30 days from publication | 2 months from publication |
| More time | Ask before the 30 days end: 30 more days on request (no fee), or 90 days for good cause ($200). Never more than 180 days from publication. | File form TM7a within the 2 months: one more month, no fee |
| To oppose | A notice of opposition to the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board: $600 per class, filed online | Form TM7, notice of opposition, with the IPO’s fee |
United States
- Where new marks appear
- USPTO Trademark Official Gazette, every Tuesday
- Time to oppose
- 30 days from publication
- More time
- Ask before the 30 days end: 30 more days on request (no fee), or 90 days for good cause ($200). Never more than 180 days from publication.
- To oppose
- A notice of opposition to the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board: $600 per class, filed online
United Kingdom
- Where new marks appear
- UK IPO Trade Marks Journal, every Friday
- Time to oppose
- 2 months from publication
- More time
- File form TM7a within the 2 months: one more month, no fee
- To oppose
- Form TM7, notice of opposition, with the IPO’s fee
If the last US day falls on a weekend or a federal holiday, it moves to the next business day. Sources: 37 CFR §2.102, §2.196 and §2.6; UK IPO guidance on objecting to trade marks. Checked 23 October 2026.
What to do when a similar mark comes up
- Open the official record and read the goods and services. A similar name for unrelated goods may not matter to you.
- If it might matter, talk to a trademark lawyer before the deadline. Whether two marks conflict is a legal question, and a lawyer is the one to advise you on it.
- If you need more time, ask for it before the period ends: in the US a first 30-day extension is free on request; in the UK form TM7a adds a third month, also free.
- Then decide with your lawyer: oppose, write to the applicant, or let it go.
What we don’t do
- We are not a law firm. We show marks that look similar; we don’t judge whether they conflict with yours, and we don’t file oppositions.
- Words only: logos and marks without words are not compared yet. Marks in other scripts are compared by their Latin part.
- The US and the UK only — no EU or other offices.