I’m a self-confessed car nut. I am the only daughter of a man who lives and breathes automobiles. And I’m also a very curious person by nature! This all coupled with my love of trademarks has led to some interesting research over the years.
You can actually use trademark application filings to do competitive intelligence searching. Did you know that companies will often file what is called an Intent to Use Application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office prior to the launch of a new product? The application will give the new product name and describe what goods and services the name will be used on. Free competitive information!
In the case of the auto industry, you can see what new cars, parts and product lines they might be launching. Take Nissan – they just filed a trademark for “Infiniti Performance Line” and “IPL” for superchargers, turbochargers etc. As one other auto writer noted, looks like Nissan might be launching a performance line to compete with the likes of the BMW M3 brand. You can do similar research for your company by searching the trademark applications using the names of your competition.
Don’t want to do this research yourself? No worries! Corporation Service Company also offers a service that will alert you to new trademark filings from your competitors. We can also let you know when someone files an application with a certain good or service keyword. If you would like more information about our competitive watching services, please contact us at tmsupport@cscinfo.com.
Kimberly Wieland
Senior Director of Trademark & Brand Services, Corporation Service Company