Trademarkia Upends Trademark Filing Process, Angers IP Lawyers

While entrepreneurs can file trademark applications with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on their own, many pay attorneys $150 to $500 per hour to handle the complex process. Since Trademarkia made its debut in 2009, the legal website has streamlined and made the task cheaper.

Its major technology innovation is a powerful search engine that mines the USPTO trademark database more efficiently than the government’s own search tool, says co-founder Raj Abhyanker. “Our site lets users visually search and receive alerts for more than 6 million trademarked names, logos, and slogans from the year 1872 until today, all for free. The USPTO site only lets you search from the year 1932 and it is not an easy site to navigate.”