Thread by @TimberlakeLaw, Let's say, like @Ire_Calboli, we'd like to look at some COVID-related filings [...]

Let's say, like @Ire_Calboli, we'd like to look at some COVID-related filings @uspto -

here are a few things we might do to get started

https://copyright.byu.edu/trademarkingcovid

#trademarks

The first thing we do, let's go to:

https://www.uspto.gov

Once we're there, let's click on Trademarks

https://www.uspto.gov/trademark

Then let's click on:

Search trademarks

https://www.uspto.gov/trademarks-application-process/search-trademark-database

Then (and this is where it really starts to get interesting) let's click on:

Search our trademark database (TESS)

http://tmsearch.uspto.gov

Welcome to the Trademark Electronic Search System (affectionately known as TESS):

#trademarks

Ostensibly, there are three possible options for searching on this page, but as Freefolk there's only one:

TESS Free Form Search!

#trademarks

When we talk about #trademarks searching, we're largely talking about what queries to use in this box:

I get the feeling that words like "trademark searching," "crafting queries," and "Free Form searches" can make this process sound scary, but I want you to know it going to be OK

If we've got COVID on our minds, we can start by simply typing covid into the search field:

One thing we can do with a free form search is specify which search fields we want to search.

Another thing we can do is not specify particular fields (effectively searching them all).

Here, our search returns results where

covid

appears in any of the indexed fields:

Often, a helpful approach to finding things in the database(s) at the Trademark Office involves casting a wide net at first, then meaningfully narrowing the results (careful not too throw out too many treasures), then widening, then narrowing

Our wide search for

covid

in any indexed area returned 705 results.

If we're primarily interested in applications for registration where the word covid appears as part of the mark, we can narrow our search to the basic index by searching

covid[bi]

http://tmsearch.uspto.gov/webaka/html/help.htm#Basic_Index

We can then broaden our search specifically to include marks where something appears before, or after, or attached to covid by adding asterisks to the beginning and end of the word:

*covid*[bi]

Since the large influx of COVID applications for registration is a fairly recent phenomenon, we can narrow our search to filings made in 2020 by adding:

2020????[fd]

http://tmsearch.uspto.gov/webaka/html/help.htm#Filing_Date

Since we're likely to be interested in marks that sound like COVID (even if spelled differently), we can broaden our basic index search to include (at least two) phonetic equivalents by adding *kovid and *qovid* thusly:

(*covid* or *kovid* or *qovid*)[bi]

While all filings are interesting, it's possible we're particularly interested in applications for registration that are still live, in which case we can narrow our results by searching the live / dead field using [ld]:

not dead[ld]

http://tmsearch.uspto.gov/webaka/html/help.htm#Live_Dead

If we want to get fancy, we can take what we know about clothing filings (i.e., they're in International Class 25, there are lots of them, they're deeply non-representative) and exclude them from our results as follows:

not 025[ic]

http://tmsearch.uspto.gov/webaka/html/help.htm#International_Class

Recap-

COVID in the mark field:

(*covid* or *kovid* or *qovid*)[bi]

Applications for registration filed in 2020:

2020????[fd]

Live filings:

not dead[ld]

Exclude clothing:

not 025[ic]

Now go craft some searches yourself!

#trademarks

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