Trademark search without the jargon
You do not need to understand intellectual property law to use Avanti Notum. Enter a name, set your classes, and read a clear, scored answer. Here is exactly how a search works, from the brand name in your head to a decision you can act on.
- Enter your brand name
- Choose your trademark classes
- Run the search
- Read your scored results
- Decide your next move
Two ideas, briefly explained
Trademark search uses a couple of terms that are worth a one-line explanation. You will not be tested on them — Avanti Notum handles the detail for you — but knowing what they mean makes your results easier to read.
Nice Classification
Trademarks are registered for specific categories of goods and services, called Nice classes. There are 45 of them. A name registered for class 25 (clothing) does not automatically block the same name in class 9 (software). When you search, you tell Avanti Notum which classes matter to your business.
SIC code
Your SIC code is the industry code you chose when you registered your company at Companies House. You may know it already. Avanti Notum can turn it into the Nice classes you need — so you do not have to learn the Nice system to get started.
How a search works — step by step
From the brand name in your head to a decision you can act on.
Enter your brand name
Type the name you want to check into the search bar. That is the only thing Avanti Notum needs to begin. It can be a company name, a product name, a sub-brand — any word or phrase you are thinking of registering. Avanti Notum searches for matching and similar marks, so you do not need to guess at variations. Enter the name as you intend to use it and the similarity scoring does the rest.
Choose your trademark classes
Tell Avanti Notum which Nice classes to search. You can enter your SIC code and Avanti Notum suggests the relevant classes, describe your business in plain English, or browse all 45 classes and pick directly. You can accept the suggestions, add classes, or remove ones that do not fit.
Run the search
Press search. Avanti Notum queries the UK IPO register, retrieves every matching and similar mark, and scores each one. While it works, you see live progress as results arrive — the search typically completes in seconds.
Read your scored results
Your results arrive as a ranked list, highest-risk marks first. Each result shows the mark, its owner, the classes it covers, its status, its source register, and a clear high, amber or low risk indicator. Open any result to see the full breakdown: phonetic, visual and conceptual scores individually, and the application, registration and expiry dates.
Decide your next move
With a clear, scored picture in front of you, you have three sensible paths: proceed if the name looks clear, rethink if there is a real conflict, or take a close call to a trademark attorney. Whatever you decide, you can generate a PDF report to keep, share, or hand to your attorney as a well-prepared starting point.
Search tip. Search the name itself, not a description of it. If your brand is 'Hearthstone Bakery', search 'Hearthstone' — the distinctive part is what a conflict turns on.
Step 2 — in detail
Three ways to choose your trademark classes
Next, tell Avanti Notum which Nice classes to search. You have three ways to do it, and you can pick whichever suits you.
You can accept the suggestions, add classes, or remove ones that do not fit. If you are unsure, it is usually safer to include a class than to leave it out — a missed class is a missed conflict.
You can also run a search without selecting classes, to see every similar mark regardless of category. Adding classes simply focuses the results on the marks most relevant to you.
Enter your SIC code
If you know your Companies House SIC code, type it in. Avanti Notum suggests the Nice classes most relevant to that industry, with a short explanation for each.
Describe your business
Not sure of your SIC code? Write a short description — 'handmade candles' or 'a software consultancy' — and Avanti Notum suggests the classes from that.
Browse and pick
If you would rather choose directly, browse the 45 Nice classes, search them by keyword, and select the ones that apply.
Search at the right scale
Three facts that explain what Avanti Notum is checking and how.
- UK trademarks in one continuously refreshed register, searched in seconds
- 1,100,000+
- Phonetic, visual and conceptual scoring on every result
- 3 dimensions
- Nice Classification — Avanti Notum maps your SIC code to the ones you need
- 45 classes
Step 4 — in detail
Reading your scored results
Your results arrive as a ranked list, highest-risk marks first. Open any result to see the full breakdown: the phonetic and visual scores individually, conceptual (meaning) where available, and the application, registration and expiry dates.
Each result shows
The mark itself — the registered or pending name.
The owner — who holds the mark.
The classes — which Nice classes it covers.
The status — registered, pending, expired or cancelled.
The source — The UK IPO register.
The risk indicator — a clear high, amber or low rating.
Reading the risk colours
Red — high risk. A mark that looks, sounds or means something close to yours, in a class that overlaps with your business. These are the results to look at hardest.
Amber — medium risk. A partial overlap. Perhaps a similar mark in a different class, or a moderate similarity score. Worth understanding before you decide.
Green — low risk. A weak match. Unlikely to be a concern, but shown for completeness.
What a score is — and is not. A high score means two marks are close. It is a measure of similarity, not a ruling. It does not mean your application will be refused, and it is not legal advice. It tells you where the risk is concentrated so you can look — and decide — with your eyes open.
Step 5 — in detail
Decide your next move
With a clear, scored picture in front of you, you have three sensible paths.
The name looks clear
No notable conflicts. That is a good sign. Before you file, we still recommend confirming with a qualified trademark attorney — a clean search is reassuring, not a guarantee.
There is a real conflict
A high-risk mark stands in your way. Better to learn that now, for free, than after you have spent on an application and a launch. Consider adjusting the name, and search again.
It's a close call
Mixed results, or an amber rating you are unsure about. This is exactly the situation to take to a trademark attorney — and Avanti Notum has done the legwork that makes their time efficient.
Whatever you decide, you can generate a PDF report of the search to keep, to share with a partner or investor, or to hand to your attorney as a well-prepared starting point.
What we do, and where a professional comes in
Avanti Notum is a trademark search and monitoring tool. It is excellent at what it does: searching the registers, scoring conflict risk and showing you clearly where the danger is. It does the time-consuming first pass that used to cost £200–500.
What it does not do is provide legal advice. It cannot tell you whether your mark will be accepted for registration, interpret the law for your specific situation, or file an application for you. Those are tasks for a qualified trademark attorney.
The best way to use Avanti Notum is as the first step: search widely and affordably, narrow down to a clear shortlist, then engage a professional for the mark you decide to file. You arrive at their door already informed — and they spend their time on judgement, not legwork.
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