This guide helps you prepare an initial review. You do not need every answer: the aim is to separate what is already decided from what needs assessment before printing packaging, opening a store or launching a campaign.
1. Write down the sign as you intend to use it.
Keep the exact name, spelling and logo, if available. Note any abbreviations, extra words or different versions. This allows the proposed filing to be compared with what will actually appear on products, advertising and documents.
If you are still choosing, collect a few alternatives and explain what each should communicate. Comparing options in context is more useful than assessing a list of words without understanding the business.
2. Describe what you will sell or provide.
Do not stop at a broad sector such as “commerce” or “technology”. Describe the product the customer receives or the service they buy. Separate current activities from expansion plans: this helps build a useful application description.
Illustrative example: a coffee shop may serve drinks, sell packaged coffee and run courses. This does not mean every activity must automatically be included; it means each should be identified for scope assessment.
3. Separate digital availability from trademark assessment.
Availability of a domain or social-media handle does not determine whether a sign can be registered as a trademark. Searches should consider prior rights relevant to the goods and services rather than only exact name matches.
Keep the results and questions you find. You do not need to resolve every similarity yourself: this information can be the starting point for a legal assessment.
4. Clarify the intended owner and target markets.
Identify whether the project belongs to an individual, company or collaboration. Collect existing agreements about the name and logo. If partners or an outside designer are involved, explain how use of those elements was agreed.
Also note planned countries of sale or expansion. A Mexican filing and an international strategy address different decisions that should be coordinated from the outset.
YOUR STARTING POINT
What to prepare for the assessment.
- Exact name and priority alternatives.
- Available logo and its versions.
- Goods, services, intended owner and target countries.
- Use history, agreements and searches already completed.
You can inquire even if you do not yet have all these details.
Official sources for further reading.
Editorial review: Signaria IP · November 13, 2026