·12 min read
TESS Is Gone: How to Search Trademarks in 2026
The TESS trademark search system was retired in 2023. Every current option for searching trademarks in 2026, from the USPTO replacement to global databases to APIs.
Read
D
Drew Mercer
Writer
Brand strategist turned writer who makes trademark complexity feel like common sense.
·10 min read
How to Name a Brand That Can Actually Be Trademarked
Nearly half of all USPTO trademark applications are rejected. Most failures trace back to the same mistake: choosing a name that describes what you do instead of who you are. Here's how to use the Abercrombie spectrum, AI-era cautionary tales, and a 5-step naming process to pick a name that sticks — legally.
Read
·12 min read
China Trademark Squatting: The $60M Problem and How to Defend Your Brand
A data-backed guide to defending your brand against trademark squatting in China — covering CNIPA's crackdown on bad-faith filings, famous cases from Apple to New Balance, the first-to-file system, China's subclass strategy, and a practical defensive playbook with real cost estimates.
Read
·12 min read
The Practitioner's Guide to Global Trademark Filing in 2026
A data-backed guide to multi-jurisdiction trademark filing — with real fee tables, Madrid vs. direct filing analysis, a worked five-country cost example, and the Nice Classification 13th Edition changes you need to plan around.
Read
·10 min read
Nice Classification 2026: What Changed, What Moved, and What You Need To Do
The 13th Edition of the Nice Classification took effect January 1, 2026, bringing the largest structural changes in a decade. Eyewear moved to Class 10, AIaaS landed in Class 42, and essential oils split across four classes. Here is every major reclassification, who is affected, and exactly how to update your search and filing workflows.
Read