• TRADEMARK IN-USE INVESTIGATIONS
• TRADEMARK NON-USE INVESTIGATIONS
• TRADEMARK ABANDONMENT INVESTIGATIONS
• TRADEMARK CONFUSION INVESTIGATIONS

A trademark Investigation also referred to as a Trademark “In-Use” Investigations gives brand owners and trademark professionals the information needed to manage their assets and make informed decisions to manage risk. With access to specialized online sources and discreet investigative tactics, our reports are comprehensive and tailored to support your trademark strategy.

Why get in-depth trademark usage information via a Trademark Investigation?

• Determine date of first use to establish priority
• Goods or Services Offered
• Channels of Trade & Scope of Use
• Verify scope of use and prove trademark abandonment with documented evidence about a mark’s non-use in commerce. We will pursue information on present-day and and prior usage. Depending on the specific investigation, historical research may focus on three years to prove abandonment or may cover the mark’s history from date of first use or claimed date of first use.
• Obtain infringing product samples through our nationwide network of anonymous front companies. We control each purchase made on your behalf to ensure complete chain of custody documentation and admissibility.
• Verify compliance with existing licensing agreements or cease and desist warnings.
• Identify infringement with certainty through a broadly based investigation covering many sources, including our own specialized databases, websites, discreet telephone contact and commercial database searches of public records. Our contact, conducted within a suitable context to maintain anonymity, may uncover further leads to be pursued by our investigators until a complete picture is prepared, such as contacting manufacturers, distributors or retailers to determine details of product distribution.
• Determine if the trademark you want to use or file for has been abandoned.  Trademark Abandonment investigations can help you decide on whether to file for a trademark, whether you can acquire a  trademark and how to respond to office actions from the USPTO.

Our approach: Consultative, Iterative, Expert

We believe the best trademark in-use report is the one which answers your questions — in many cases, questions raised through the completion of a comprehensive trademark clearance report. Based on your trademark management, registration or litigation strategy, our investigation strategy is built around our client’s specific needs. This highly consultative approach extends to the execution of the investigation: expect to hear back from our investigators at least once during the preparation of the initial research phase to report their interim findings. In many cases, these consultative conversations result in adjustments to the investigative strategy — and an even more effectively targeted report.

Our pricing: No surprises

We price our services based on our experience and in alignment with our investigative approach. We provide you and your client with a flat fee price quote on the day of the request to insure there are no surprises.

During the investigation phase the private investigator handling your case will communicate the progress of our research and may outline avenues for further investigation. If the client requests and agrees, the investigation will pursue these avenues, with further investigation billed at an agreed upon rate. We call our policy “no surprises� because it is: we will discuss with you a cap for your investigation and, if requested, specific milestones which give you complete transparency into and control of the investigation each step of the way.

Contact us today for a, confidential, consultation. 949-900-3435 (Orange County) or 347-688-5684 (New York).