How to Do a Trademark Search in South Africa (Before You Register)
When you’ve spent time, energy, and creativity building your brand, the last thing you want is to find out someone else already owns rights to your name or logo. That’s why conducting a trademark search before applying for registration in South Africa is absolutely essential. At Legal Legends , we help entrepreneurs, startups, and established businesses secure their intellectual property rights through our expert trademark registration service in South Africa . In this article, we’ll walk you through why a trademark search is important, how to do it effectively, and what to do if you discover potential conflicts. Why a Trademark Search Matters A trademark search helps you determine whether your brand name, logo, slogan, or product mark is already in use or registered by someone else in South Africa. The Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) maintains a database of all registered trademarks, which anyone can search before filing an application. Skipping this cruc...