Searching the Trademark ID Manual

The Trademark Next Generation ID Manual (TMNG-IDM or ID Manual) is a web-based application that provides users the ability to search for acceptable identifications of goods and services and information related thereto. To submit comments regarding your experience using TMNG-IDM, please contact TMFeedback@uspto.gov with the subject “TMNG-IDM Feedback.”

This page provides information about using TMNG-IDM. Direct links to topics are provided below:

Link to TMNG-IDM website

Users can search the new Trademark ID Manual website by using the following URL address: https://idm-tmng.uspto.gov/.

System requirements and settings

The TMNG-IDM is best viewed in the Google® Chrome® browser version 95.0.4638.69 or higher, but is also accessible in Windows® Internet Explorer® Version 11 and higher. Display resolution settings above 900px are recommended for optimal viewing of the search window and results table.

Explanation of main page features

The Main Page of TMNG-IDM features a text box for searching, an Information icon with links to resources and related pages, and an Advanced Search icon. These Main Page features are addressed in greater detail below.

Search Box: The Search Box (or “text box”) located on the center of the Main Page below the Trademark Next Gen logo is used to enter Search Terms. For additional information about searching the TMNG-IDM, see How to Conduct a Simple Search and How to Conduct an Advanced Search.

The Information – “i” – icon: Immediately to the right of the Search Box, the small, blue icon featuring the lower-case letter “i” contains links to the “Searching the ID Manual” and “Guidance for Users” documentation.

Searching the ID Manual: Selecting the “Searching the ID Manual” link will open this content.

Guidance for Users: Selecting the “Guidance for Users” link will open the Guidance for Users page, which contains information regarding ID Manual features, classification and identification practice, and tips relating to specific goods and services.

Advanced Search – magnifying glass “+” – icon: In the upper left corner of the main page, a square featuring a white magnifying glass with a “+” serves as the access point for the Advanced Search features. Select the icon and the Advanced Search panel opens from the left of the screen. Change the criteria to apply to the search term(s) entered in the search box and results will be narrowed accordingly. Please see the How to Conduct an Advanced Search section below.

Quick Tips - Getting Started with ID Manual: Below the search box are “Quick Tips” for searching, viewing results, and sorting on columns.

Resources: The “Resources” section contains the following links:

  • Searching the ID Manual: Selecting the “Searching the ID Manual” link will open this page.
  • Guidance for Users: Selecting the “Guidance for Users” link will open the Guidance for Users page, which contains information regarding ID Manual features, classification and identification practice, and tips relating to specific goods and services.

How to conduct a simple search

A simple search can be carried out on the Main Page using the text box in the center of the page. A simple search is conducted by typing the desired search term(s) into the text box and pressing the “Search” icon – the magnifying glass inside the Search Box. For more details on terms to search, please see Search Terms below. A simple search will retrieve results for records that include the searched term in the Description field. For example, entering the word cookie in the text box will retrieve all records that contain the term cookie or cookies in the Description. Results will also include variations on search terms retrieved by matching the “stem” of the term. For example, the results for the term cook will retrieve entries for cooking and cooked.

Wildcard Searches to replace one or multiple characters in a searched term and Proximity Searches to find searched terms within a specific distance may be conducted during a simple or advanced search of the Manual. For more information, please see the relevant sections below.

As noted above, simple searches will return results based on stemming. For example, a simple search of test will return results for test, tests, and testing. To return results without stemming, (1) use the "Exact" advanced search mode or (2) select the "All of the Words" advanced search mode and use the wildcard search character at the beginning or end of a term. A search of tester using the "Exact" advanced search mode will return only results which contain tester; it will not return results for testers, testing, or tests. A wildcard search of tester* using the "All of the Words" advanced search mode will return only results that contain tester and testers; it will not return results for testing or tests.

Boolean Operators may be used while conducting a simple or advanced search, except for searches in the “Exact” search mode. For more information, see Boolean Operators below. If multiple terms are entered into the text box when searching in any search mode except for the “Exact” or “Any of the Words” advanced search modes, the system will retrieve records that contain all of the entered terms. The term “AND” does not have to be added to the search box. For example, a search of copy paper or a search of copy AND paper will retrieve the same results. Parentheses may be used to further group search terms. In the “Any of the Words” advanced search mode, spaces are treated as “OR” operators. For more information, see Grouping below.

Entry of search terms within quotation marks (e.g., “medical apparatus”) will retrieve results only with the entire string of search terms in the order specified.

Searches of terms that contain diacritical marks, such as accents, can be conducted using the search box on the Main Page.

When a user selects the “Search” icon without entering a term in the search box, all of the records in the database will be returned as search results.

To conduct a search by effective date, status, class, NCL Version, notes, or TM5 using the Advanced Search icon, see How to Conduct an Advanced Search below.

Search terms

When searching IDM-NG, there are two types of search terms that may be entered: Single Terms and Phrases.

A Single Term is a single word such as shoes or pillows.

A Phrase is a group of words surrounded by double quotes such as “athletic shoes” or “travel pillows” (include the quotation marks in the search).

Multiple terms can be combined together with Boolean operators to form a more complex query. See Boolean Operators below.

In addition, the automatic “stemming” of search terms will retrieve more results and, by default, will rank them in relevancy order based on an algorithm of how closely the results aligns with the original search term. Stemming automatically finds most plurals as well as British English equivalents of American English terms programmed into the search engine. Stemming will also add to the number of results retrieved when using Proximity Searches. See Proximity Searches below.

“Stemming” is an advanced search technique that reduces the search term to a root form and matches it to other words that contain that same root. The matches are determined by algorithms and a system dictionary that is continually being fine-tuned.

Wildcard searches

IDM-NG supports single and multiple character wildcard searches within single terms (not within phrase queries). The guidance provided in this section applies to all search modes EXCEPT for the “Exact” and “Classic” search modes. For information on conducting wildcard searches (or “truncation”) in the “Classic” search mode, see How to search using the “Classic” search mode. Wildcard searches cannot be performed in the “Exact” search mode.

To perform a single character wildcard search, use the “?” symbol.

The single character wildcard search looks for terms that match the search criteria with the single character replaced. For example, to search for “gray” or “grey,” you can use the search:

Gr?y

To perform a multiple character wildcard search, use the “*” symbol.

Multiple character wildcard searches looks for zero or more characters. For example, to search for “paint,” “painting,” or “paintball,” you can use the search:

Paint*

You can also use the multiple character wildcard searches in the middle of a term. For example, to search for “grain” or “green,” you can use the search:

Gr*n

To return results without stemming, (1) use the "Exact" advanced search mode or (2) select the "All of the Words" advanced search mode and use the wildcard search character at the beginning or end of a term. A search of tester using the "Exact" advanced search mode will return only results which contain tester; it will not return results for testers, testing, or tests. A wildcard search of tester* using the "All of the Words" search mode will return only results which contain tester and testers; it will not return results for testing or tests.

Fuzzy searches

IDM-NG supports finding words similar in spelling to words based on an algorithm. This searching is referred to as “fuzzy searching” and uses the tilde, “~”, symbol at the end of a single word term. For example, to search for a term similar in spelling to “sterilize,” such as sterility or sterile, enter the fuzzy search:

Steriliz~

Proximity searches

IDM-NG supports finding words that are within a specific distance away. To perform a proximity search, use the tilde, "~", symbol at the end of a Phrase. For example to search for a "computer" and "network" within 10 words of each other in a record use the search:

“computer network”~10

Remember, with automatic “stemming,” the results retrieved will include more variations than the exact terms searched, and, generally, the most relevant terms will be returned at the top of the results table by default. For example, a proximity search of “bowl shoes”~10 will return an entry for "bowling shoes."

Proximity searches may also be conducted by using the “Proximity” search mode. For more information, see How to Conduct an Advanced Search.

Grouping

IDM-NG supports using parentheses to group clauses to form sub queries. This can be very useful if you want to control the Boolean logic for a query.

To search for either “football” or “baseball” and “shoes” use the query:

(football OR baseball) AND shoes

The Boolean Operators must be capitalized. See below for information regarding Boolean Operators.

Boolean Operators

Boolean operators allow terms to be combined through logic operators. IDM-NG supports AND, "+", OR, NOT, and "-" as Boolean Operators for searches conducted in all search modes except for “Classic” and “Exact.” For further information on the use of Boolean Operators in the “Classic” search mode, see How to search using the “Classic” search mode. Boolean Operators may not be used when searching in the “Exact” search mode. 

The Boolean Operators AND, OR, and NOT must be in all capital letters. 

AND Operator: The AND operator is the default conjunction operator. This means that if there is no Boolean operator between two terms, the AND operator is used. The AND operator links two terms and finds a matching document if both of the terms exist in a record.

The AND operator matches documents where both terms exist anywhere in the text of a single document. 

The AND operator must be in all capital letters. 

For example, to search for records that contain both "via" and "computer network," use the query:

Via AND "computer network"

or

Via "computer network" [no operator defaults to AND]

+ Symbol: The + symbol, or required operator, requires that the term after the + symbol exist somewhere in the field of a single record.

To search for records that must contain “network” (or variations due to stemming) and may contain “global” use the query:

+network global

NOT/! Operator: The NOT operator excludes documents that contain the term after NOT. The NOT operator must be in all capital letters. The symbol ! can be used in place of the word NOT.

To search for documents that contain "computer network" but not "global," use the query:

"computer network" NOT global

or

"computer network" !global

Note: The NOT operator cannot be used with just one term.

Note: The ! operator must be placed before the excluded term without a space separating the ! operator and the search term that follows and without quotation marks. For example, a search of shirts !pants will retrieve entries that include the term shirts but do not include the term pants. A search of shirts "!pants" in the "All of the Words" search mode will not exclude the term pants, and will instead return results for entries that contain both shirts and pants.

- Symbol: The - symbol, or prohibit operator, excludes records that contain the term after the - symbol.

To search for records that contain “network” (or variations due to stemming) and do not contain “computer network,” use the query:

network -"computer network"

Note: The - operator must be placed before “computer network” without a space separating the - operator and the search term that follows.

Ranking of search results and double sorting

After a search of a term has been conducted, the ID Manual offers a variety of methods for sorting search results discussed below. These features may be used to control the display of search results on the results table, not the type of data retrieved by a search. For information on conducting searches in the ID Manual, see How to Conduct a Simple Search and How to Conduct an Advanced Search.

Double Sorting: Users are able to select primary and secondary criteria for sorting search results by using the “Sort By” and “Then By” drop-down menus at the top of the results table (referred to as “double sorting”). The criteria for sorting are the names of the columns available on the results table. For information on displaying columns in the results table, see Explanation of Results Table Features.

The “Sort By” drop-down menu allows users to establish the first (or sole) criterion by which search results will be displayed on the search results table. This first criterion can either (1) be the sole criterion by which search results are sorted or (2) be further sorted by a second criterion using the “Then By” drop-down menu. To set the first sorting criterion, select the down arrow to open the drop-down menu for the “Sort By” criteria and select the desired criterion.

Example - If the selected “Sort By” criterion is “Class,” search results will first be returned according to the class number in ascending order. If no secondary criterion is selected, the “Then By” menu will default to “(none).”

Example - If the selected “Sort By” criterion is “Description,” search results will first be returned according to the alphabetical order of the descriptions beginning with the first letter of the alphabet. If no secondary criterion is selected, the “Then By” menu will default to “(none).”

To set the second sorting criterion, establish the “Sort By” criterion using the above instructions, then use the “Then By” drop-down menu to select the criterion by which you wish the search results to be displayed after they have been sorted by the first criterion. The criteria in the drop-down menu will include the same “Sort By” options except for “Relevance” and the criterion used in the “Sort By” preference.

Example - If the selected “Sort By” criterion is “Class,” search results will first be returned according to the class number in ascending order. After the results are sorted by class, if the search results are then sorted by “Description,” the results will be displayed by class number and, within each class, alphabetically by description.

Example - If the selected “Sort By” criterion is “Class,” search results will first be returned according to class number in ascending order. After the results are sorted by class, if the search results are then sorted by “TM5,” the results will be displayed by class number and, within each class, the TM5 entries will appear at the top of the listing in that class.

Note: Once the “Sort By” and/or “Then By” criteria are established, the ID Manual will use that criteria to return search results for subsequent searches in a session. However, selecting an individual column heading after setting the sorting criteria will negate the “Sort By” and/or “Then By” criteria for future searches. Future search results will be displayed according to the column heading which was selected. For example, if the search criteria are set to “Sort By Class” and “Then By Description,” and a user selects the Status column, all future search results will display results according to the status of the entry, rather than class then description.

Sorting by Column: The user also has the option to sort the search results according to any of the search table criteria by selecting the relevant column at the top of the search table. For example, to list search results by class number, place the cursor over the “Class” column and select with the mouse. A small black arrow will indicate if the results are displayed in ascending or descending order according to the criteria of the listed column. For example, a small black arrow in the Class column indicates whether the classes are listed in ascending or descending order. Select the arrow to change the order between ascending and descending order. After selecting the column heading, the “Sort By” criteria will become the name of the selected column.

Note: As indicated above, if a user has set the double sorting criteria, sorting by column will change the double sorting criteria. After results have been sorted by selecting on a particular column, all subsequent searches will be sorted according to the selected column.

Default Setting: By default, search results are listed in the results table according to the relevance of the searched term(s) as determined by an algorithm. Thus, if the search results have not been sorted using the double sorting criteria or column headings, the entries will be listed according to relevance regardless of class number or any other criteria.

Explanation of results table features

After pressing the “Search” icon next to the search box, the search results will be displayed in a table containing the following default columns:

  • Term ID
  • Class
  • Description
  • Status
  • Effective Date
  • Type
  • Notes
  • TM5
  • NCL Version
  • … (image of three dots)

Term ID: The “Term ID” column contains a particular ID number which links to a summary of the complete record for the term, including information about any modifications to the term.  The Term ID number does not need to be included in an application with the USPTO. The Term ID number does not have any legal significance and is unrelated to the Nice Classification or U.S. Classification systems used for classifying goods and services in trademark applications. Additional information about the Term ID is provided below.

Class: The “Class” column indicates the international class or, for certification or collective membership marks, the U.S. class assigned to particular goods or services. For more information about the classification of goods and/or services, see TMEP §1401 et. seq. When a cursor is placed over the class number in the Class column, a popup box will display the Class Heading under the Nice Agreement for that particular class.

Description: The “Description” column indicates the identification of goods or services retrieved from the user’s search of the ID Manual.

Status: The “Status” column of the ID Manual includes a letter, “A,” “M,” “D,” or “X,” which indicates the status of that particular entry.

Entries with a status of “A,” “M,” or “X” are active entries that are generally acceptable in the class specified.

The letter “A” is used to indicate that the entry was added to the ID Manual. “A” entries are generally acceptable identifications which have not been subsequently modified.

The letter “M” is used to indicate an entry that has been modified since originally entered into the ID Manual. “M” entries are generally accompanied by a Note which explains the reason for the modification. For example, if a particular good or service was reclassified, the entry for that good or service would include the letter “M” and a Note explaining the reason for the reclassification.

The letter “X” indicates an entry that is an example of an acceptable identification of goods or services. These entries often include more detail than is required for an acceptable identification. Thus, while the identification may be used by an applicant, the identification is often not beneficial to a wide range of applicants and generally does not provide guidance about general identification principles. As noted in TMEP §1402.01, identifications which include lengthy descriptions of characteristics of goods and services are generally inappropriate.

The letter “D” indicates an entry that has been deleted from the ID Manual as of the indicated effective date. These entries are generally accompanied by a Note that provides the reason for deleting the entry. “D” entries are generally not acceptable under USPTO ID Policy. The Notes accompanying “D” entries should be read, and the ID Manual should be searched for similar entries to verify whether a particular deleted entry is acceptable. 

Effective Date: The “Effective Date” column sets forth the date on which the status (i.e., Added, Modified, Deleted, or Example) of a particular entry went into effect.

Type: The “Type” column is used to indicate whether the description refers to “GOODS” or “SERVICES.” See TMEP §1301.01 for an explanation of what constitutes a service under the Trademark Act.

Notes: ID Manual "Notes" provide a variety of information about a particular description. For example, Notes may be used to explain why a description was modified or deleted, provide information about classification principles, or describe the function or purpose of the goods or services named in the description. Certain Notes alert users that broader language may be acceptable or that particular information must be included in the identification. 

TM5: The “TM5” column will include the letter “T” if an identification has been accepted by the USPTO, the European Union Intellectual Property Office ("EUIPO"), the Japan Patent Office ("JPO"), the Korean Intellectual Property Office ("KIPO"), and the Chinese National Intellectual Property Administration (“CNIPA”) as part of the TM5 ID List (formerly known as “Trilateral”) and will be blank if an identification has not been accepted by all TM5 partners. For more information about TM5 entries, see TMEP §1402.04.

NCL Version: The “NCL Version” column indicates the Edition and Version of the Nice Classification (NCL) in effect at the time the entry was added (“A”), entered as an example ("X"), modified (“M”), or deleted (“D”). Beginning in 2013, annual NCL Versions are issued on January 1 of every year. The default setting is the current edition of the Nice Classification. The default setting will retrieve entries currently in effect. See How to Conduct an Advanced Search for more information on conducting searches using prior NCL versions or editions.

∙ ∙ ∙: The column with three dots in the header is used by the user to show or hide the other columns. Information on using this feature is provided in more detail below.

A user can sort the search results in an ascending or descending order by selecting the column header. For example, selecting the column header for the “Class” column will order the results in ascending or descending order according to class number. Selecting the column header for the “Description” column will arrange the search results alphabetically based on the description field.

A user can customize the columns displayed on the search result table by selecting the ∙ ∙ ∙ column header. A “Show & Hide Columns” popup will be displayed showing all possible columns that can be displayed or hidden from the search result table. Users can select on the “Show/Hide all” button or check individual checkbox(es) to customize the search results display. Selecting the “OK” button will save the user’s changes, while selecting the “Cancel” button will exit out of the popup without making any changes.

The order of the columns can be changed by holding down the right mouse button on the title of the column to be moved and dragging it to the desired location. A green column will briefly appear in the new location prior to the column being moved. Upon closing the search session, the column order will return to the default setting.

On the search result table, a deleted (“D”) record will have a strike-through line on the description. Deleted records typically include a Note explaining the reason for the deletion. Deleted descriptions are generally unacceptable under current identification and/or classification policy, but the Notes should be consulted for further guidance.  

Selecting any record’s Term ID will open the “View Record” box. The View Record box contains detailed information of a record. The "General" tab of the View Record box displays data regarding the class, type, effective date, TM5 status, and any notes. A record with a change in status, class and/or effective date will display the older version in the “Version History” tab that includes the following information:

  • Term ID

  • Class

  • Description

  • Status

  • Start Effective Date

  • End Effective Date

  • TM5

Users can close the record by selecting the X in the upper right hand corner of the View Record tab.

Version History: The life cycle of a particular ID record is tracked through the Version History. By migrating records from previous NCL editions and versions, several thousand records feature information on prior classification and description changes. In the future, the Version History will continuously provide information about previous versions of the identification both in the same class and in prior classes.

Note: Most entries in the ID Manual will not currently include a Version History. Please consult the Notes for information on descriptions that have been modified or deleted. The Notes generally include an explanation of the nature of the change to any modified or deleted entry.

Actions menu

After clicking on the Term ID link for a particular term, the “View Record” box will appear. In the upper right corner of the View Record box is the Actions menu. The Actions menu will allow a user to copy the URL of a particular record or print a record. For more information on these features, see How to Print or Copy URL of a Single Record.

How to conduct an advanced search

A user can narrow down the results displayed by using the “Advanced Search” criteria. The icon for the “Advanced Search” is located in the upper left corner of the Main Page and the Search Results Page.

Selecting the Advanced Search icon will open the Advanced Search panel that contains the following additional fields that may be used to refine search results:

  • Search Mode
  • Status
  • Search Fields
  • Class
  • NCL Version
  • TM5
  • Effective Date

After conducting a search, the Advanced Search panel will remain open once the search results are displayed. The panel may be closed by either selecting “Close Panel” or clicking on the magnifying glass “+” icon.

Search Mode: Users may select one of the following search modes by using the drop down menu below the words “Search Mode” at the top of the Advanced Search Panel:

All of the Words: An advanced search conducted using the “All of the Words” search mode will return records containing all of the searched terms. For example, a search of the terms business consulting using the “All of the Words” search mode will retrieve results that include both the term "business" and the term "consulting" (and variations of business and consulting due to the stemming function of the search system).

Any of the Words: An advanced search conducted using the “Any of the Words” search mode will return records containing at least one of the searched terms. For example, a search of the terms business consulting using the “Any of the Words” search mode will retrieve results which include either the term "business" or the term "consulting" (and variations due to the stemming function of the search system) or results including both searched terms.

Exact: The exact mode allows users to search for records that contain the precise searched term(s). Stemming does not function in exact mode.

Note: Since a search using the exact mode will only retrieve the specific term(s) searched, an “Exact” search will not retrieve: (1) the plural version of a singular search term or vice-versa or (2) the hyphenated version of a compound word search or vice-versa. For example, a search of all purpose will not return results where the searched field contains "all-purpose."

The exact mode does not work with Boolean Operators or Wildcard Searches.

Prefix: The prefix search mode returns results where the searched term appears at the beginning of a term in the records. For example, an advanced search using the prefix search mode of semi plastic will retrieve results including “semi-processed plastics” and “semi-finished plastic films and sheets to be used in solar or photovoltaic modules” in Class 17.

Suffix: The suffix mode allows users to return results where the searched term appears at the end of a term in the records. For example, an advanced search of ment using the suffix search mode will retrieve results including "management" and "equipment."

Proximity: The proximity mode allows users to search for records that contain searched terms that are located within a certain number of terms of each other. The desired number of terms that could separate the search terms should be entered in the proximity number text box below the Search Mode drop down menu. For example, an advanced search of the terms computer software conducted using the proximity search mode with the number 2 entered into the proximity number text box will return records where the words "computer" and "software" appear within two words of each other, such as "downloadable computer operating software" in Class 9. To perform a proximity search using the tilde symbol, see Proximity Searches.

Classic: Classic search mode allows users to search using the Boolean operators and truncation methods available in the legacy ID Manual. The legacy ID Manual was the previous version of the ID Manual and is no longer available. For explanations of "Classic" search mode features, see How to search using the "Classic" search mode.

Status: A user can narrow their search by limiting the search results to records with a particular status, A - Added, M - Modified, X - Example, or D - Deleted. For an explanation of record statuses, see Status above.

By default, the “Status” checkboxes are automatically checked. To exclude a particular status from the search results, ensure that the box next to that status is unchecked. To include a particular status in the search results, check the box next to the desired status by placing the cursor on the box and selecting the left side of the mouse. Multiple boxes may be checked or unchecked. For example, to search for deleted records, the “D – Deleted” checkbox should be checked and the remaining status checkboxes should be unchecked.

Search Fields: The “Search Fields” search feature allows users to retrieve search results where a search term appears in the Notes by checking the box in front of the term “Notes.” For more information about Notes, see Explanation of Results Table Features above. By default, searches will return results only where the search term appears in the description field. 

Class: To search for records containing a specific term in a particular class, enter the desired search term in the text box and click on the “Class” button. A window containing clickable icons representing all of the searchable classes will appear. To search all goods classes or all services classes, check the checkbox next to “Select All Goods” or “Select All Services.” To search for records in more than one class, simply select all of the desired classes by selecting the appropriate number(s). Click the "Select" button and conduct the search. The search result will display record(s) in the class(es) entered by the user.

To retrieve all records within a particular class or classes, select the class(es) and press the “Search” button without any search term in the text box.

NCL Version: A user can conduct a search for results by selecting a NCL version or edition from the drop-down menu. The system will return results from all of the previous versions to the selected version date. For example, if a user selects 09-2007 as the NCL version, the system will display records from 07-1997 through 09-2007. The default setting is the current NCL year and will retrieve entries currently in effect.

The Manual includes acceptable entries that were added, modified, or entered as examples under a prior version or edition of the Nice Agreement. For example, “Ice cream sandwiches” was added to the Manual under the 8th Edition of the Nice Agreement. This remains an acceptable identification in Class 30 and currently displays as an active entry in the Manual when searching the current NCL Version. The NCL Version for that entry is listed as “08-2002.” The indication was valid as of the Effective Date and remains valid despite the fact that it was added under a prior edition of the Nice Agreement.

Entries that were previously acceptable in one class may be reclassified over time. The original acceptable class remains valid for all trademark applications filed before the Effective Date of reclassification/transfer. The “Version History” displayed in an individual record will show prior classification under prior editions/versions of the NCL.

When a new edition/version of the Nice Agreement is issued, any changes to the ID Manual apply only to applications filed on or after the effective date of the change. See TMEP §1401.09. To determine the acceptability of identifications and classifications for applications filed under previous versions or editions of the Nice Agreement, the NCL Version may be used as a search parameter. For example, to return entries that were included in the ID Manual under the 9th Edition of the Nice Agreement (effective January 1, 2007), perform an advanced search and select “09-2007” as the “NCL Version.”

For additional information regarding the classification of goods or services and the Nice Classification, see TMEP §1401 et seq.

TM5: The Advanced Search will also allow users to search for entries accepted by the USPTO and international partners to the TM5 ID List (formerly known as “Trilateral”). Check the box next to “TM5” on the Advanced Search screen in order to retrieve results that include only TM5 identifications. For more information about TM5 entries, see TMEP §1402.04.

Effective Date: Effective Date searches for an entry that was added (“A”), deleted (“D”), modified (“M”), or was added as an example (“X”) on a particular date, within a specified date range, before a specific date, or after a specific date. The Effective Date search features a drop down menu with the following operators. If one of the operators is used, a text box will appear below the drop down menu. The desired date should be entered in the text box in month, day, and year format, e.g., 01/01/2021. Alternatively, users may click on the date box and select the relevant date on the calendar.

Less Than (<): The less than search feature will allow for a search of records with start effective dates prior to the searched date. For example, a search of the term storage using the less than operator with the date of 01/01/2014 will retrieve records containing the term storage with start effective dates before January 1, 2014.

Greater Than (>): The greater than search feature will allow for a search of records with start effective dates after the searched date. For example, a search of the term storage using the greater than operator with the date of 01/01/2014 will retrieve records containing the term storage with start effective dates after January 1, 2014.

Range: The range operator allows for a search of records with start effective dates within a specified range. When this operator is selected, two text boxes will appear below the operator drop down menu. The beginning and ending dates of the range should be entered in these text boxes. For example, a search of database with range selected and the dates of 01/01/2014 and 01/01/2015 will retrieve records containing the term database with start effective dates between January 1, 2014 and January 1, 2015.

Equal (=): An effective date search using the equal sign will return records with a specific start effective date. The particular start effective date that you wish to search should be entered in the text box below the drop down menu.

The “Close Panel” link will close the Advance Search section. Selecting the “Advanced Search” icon will also close the expanded advanced search box.

The “Reset all settings” link will restore all of the advanced search selections to the default settings. The reset arrows located on the upper right side of each advanced search criteria section will reset the default settings for the particular search criteria.

The “Search” button will search the database based on the selected or unselected options and any search criteria entered in the search box.

How to search using the “Classic” search mode

The “Classic” search mode allows users to conduct searches using certain functions that were available in the previous (“Legacy”) edition of the ID Manual. To conduct a search using the “Classic” search mode, open the ID Manual advanced search features by clicking on the magnifying glass with the “+” symbol in the upper left corner of the page. Select “Classic” from the drop-down menu below “Search Mode,” then conduct a search of the desired term(s). 

In “Classic” search mode, the system automatically searches for the plural or singular form of the searched term(s). For example, a search for book retrieves all records containing book and books. A search for books finds all records containing books and book. A possessive is treated as a plural form. The system also searches for most special plural forms, such as knives and mice. 

A search for computer AND program retrieves all goods and services containing computer(s) and program(s). Without quotation marks, the term AND is a connector term and is not itself searched as a term. Additional information about the use of Boolean Operators in the “Classic” search mode is provided below.

Note: Searches in the “Classic” search mode will retrieve results in the class, description, status, effective date, type, or TM5 fields. 

Note: The system does not search for alternative spellings of many terms. The system may return different search results for compound words searched with a space between the terms and compound words searched without a space between the terms. For example, a search of tooth paste will not retrieve entries containing "toothpaste" as one word. A search of corkboard will retrieve entries for "Corkboards" and "Corkboard pins" but a search of cork board does not retrieve either of those entries.

Note: A search query may contain an apostrophe or hyphen within the searched terms or quotation marks around the searched terms. For example, a search of baker's will retrieve entries such as "Baker's racks." However, other punctuation (e.g., commas, semicolons, colons, etc.) should not be used in the search field.

Boolean Operators: The following Boolean Operators are available when conducting an advanced search in the “Classic” search mode. 

AND, &, space: The AND operator may be 1) a single space, 2) the ampersand (&), or 3) the word AND (all capital letters). For example, the three search queries below would find the same information:

Golf Clubs
Golf & Clubs
Golf AND Clubs

The AND, &, or single space search operators require that both words on either side of the operator appear in the same record. If only one of the words is found in a record, the record will not be returned. For example, a search for golf AND clubs finds all records that contain both golf(s) and club(s). 

A search of and in lowercase will find entries with the term "and" in the description. For example, a search of and cheese will find "Macaroni and cheese" and "Cracker and cheese combinations."

The AND operator (AND, &, or single space) may be used with words (e.g., car), letters (e.g., A, T), and/or numbers (e.g., 001, 20040704) to create searches. For example, a search of shirt G M will retrieve descriptions for goods that contain the term shirt(s) with a status of M (modified). Additional information is provided below regarding the use of certain letters in searching and the appropriate format for searching class numbers and dates in “Classic” search mode.

OR Operator: The only “OR” operator is the word OR (all capital letters).

The “OR” search operator requires that at least one of the terms on either side of the operator appears in a record. For example, a search for golf OR clubs finds all records that contain “golf(s),” “club(s),” or both “golf(s)” and “club(s).” 

The “OR” operator may be used with words (e.g., cat or dog), letters (e.g., T or S), and/or numbers (e.g., 010 or 19910402) to create searches. For example, a search of 010 OR medical will retrieve all entries in International Class 10 and all entries in any class of goods or services that include the term medical, such as "Urgent medical care centers" and "Camphor for medical purposes." Additional information is provided below regarding the use of certain letters in searching and the appropriate format for searching class numbers and dates in “Classic” search mode.

Multiple Search Operators: More than one search operator may be used to perform a search. When performing a search with multiple search operators, parentheses should be used to surround terms that are connected by operators for further limitation by a subsequent operator. For example, a search of (tennis OR racket) AND 028 finds all records in International Class 28 with either the term “tennis” or “racket(s).”

Wildcard Searches: In the legacy ID Manual, the dollar sign ($) was used to replace zero or more characters in a searched term. When conducting a search in the “Classic” search mode, the dollar sign may also be used to signify an unlimited number of additional characters in the search for a term root. The dollar sign can be used at the beginning, the end, or any position within a searched term. For example, a search for consult$ will retrieve entries with “consultation(s),” “consultant(s),” “consultancy,” “consulting,” etc. A search of $wear will retrieve entries such as “eyewear,” “footwear,” “headwear,” “rental of formal wear,” etc. A search for non$metallic will retrieve entries with “nonmetallic” and “non-metallic.” A search for non$metal$ will retrieve entries with “nonmetal,” “non-metal,” “nonmetallic,” and “non-metallic.”

Note: Using the dollar sign before or after too few letters can result in overly broad search results. For example, a search of flo$ will return search results that include a wide variety of goods and services, such as “flour,” “artificial flowers,” “flotation vests,” and “rental of dance floors.” Inserting additional letters before or after the truncation symbol may be helpful in returning more relevant goods and services entries.

Truncation (wildcard searches) may be used in searches that contain Boolean Operators. For example, a search of web$ AND design$ will retrieve entries for goods and services that include terms with the first three letters web (such as webpage(s) or website(s)) and include terms that begin with design (e.g., design(s) or designing), such as "Computer website design" and "Consultancy with regard to webpage design."

G/S Searches: In “Classic” search mode, a search for the letter S retrieves all services entries, while a search for the letter G retrieves all goods entries. The letters S and G may be combined with Boolean Operators. For example, a search for computer S retrieves all services entries containing the word computer, e.g., “computer programming,” “repair of computer hardware,” etc. 

Status Searches: In “Classic” search mode, the searches of the letters A, D, M, or X will return results for an entry has been Added, Deleted, Modified or that is an Example, respectively. For additional information on the status of ID Manual entry, see Explanation of results table features

Effective Date Searches: In the “Classic” search mode, a user can search for an entry that was added, deleted, modified, or was added as an example on a particular date. A specific date must be entered as a four-digit year, two-digit month, and two-digit day without spaces between the numbers (YYYYMMDD). For example, a search for 20210101 would return any identification with an effective date of January 1, 2021.

Class number searches: A search in the “Classic” search mode for a class number retrieves all goods and services in that class and any descriptions containing the class number. The class number must be entered in three (3) digits; quotation marks may be used around the three numbers but are not required. For example, a search for 012 retrieves all goods in International Class 12.

A class number may be combined with a descriptive term using Boolean Operators. For example, a search for golf AND 012 (for the class) will find goods in International Class 12 in which golf is a part of the identification such as "Electric golf caddies."

TM5 searches: In the “Classic” search mode, a search of the letter T will retrieve identifications that have been accepted by the USPTO and international partners to the TM5 ID List (formerly known as "Trilateral"). For additional information regarding TM5 entries, see Explanation of results table features. A TM5 search may be combined with other terms using Boolean Operators. 

How to print or download search results or the entire manual

Printing: To print search results, select on the blue printer icon located in the upper right corner of the search results page above the search table. A printable table will be displayed that includes the Search Term, Date of Search, Nice Version, URL, and the results table. Select the Print button to print the table.

For information on printing a single record or copying the URL of a single record, see How to Print or Copy URL of a Single Record below.

Downloading: Users are able to download either the entire ID Manual or the results of a particular search.

To download search results or the entire ID Manual after a search has been conducted (other than a search to retrieve all entries in the ID Manual), select the Download icon located in the upper right corner. A menu will appear with the following two options: “Download entire manual” or “Download search results.” Selecting either of these options will open a box that allows the user to select the file format of the exported file from the drop down menu. The user can also select which columns to include on the downloaded file and the order of the columns. By default, a check will appear before each column name and “Select All.” Select the checkbox before the column name to insert or remove the check from the checkbox, as appropriate. To unselect a column, the checkbox before the column name should be empty. Use the up and down arrows next to a checkbox to arrange the order of the columns. Select the “Download” button to export the search results to a file. Select “Cancel” in the lower corner or the “X” in the upper corner to close the box.

To return all of the entries in the ID Manual, search the ID Manual with the text box left blank. To download the entire ID Manual after conducting a search for all ID Manual entries, select Download icon in the upper right corner to open the “Download entire manual” box. Users may select the format, columns shown/hidden, and column order by following the instructions therefor in the preceding paragraph. Select on the “Download” button to export the search results to a file. Select “Cancel” in the lower corner or the “X” in the upper corner to close the box.

How to print or copy URL of a single record

To print the complete contents of a single record, select the record from the result table by selecting the Term ID. A “View Record” pane will open with all relevant data relating to the record, including any Notes and Version History. To print the ID record, select the blue “Actions” box in the upper right corner of the View Record pane and select “Print Record.” Follow your browser’s instructions to print a copy of the record with date stamp and the URL for the record.

To copy the URL for a specific ID record, select “Copy URL” from the blue “Actions” box in the upper right corner of the View Record pane. The resulting message generates the URL address to copy to the clipboard by pressing Control + “C.” Press the Escape key or select the X in the upper right corner of the “Copy Link” popup to exit the message. The resulting URL address may be pasted into other documents from the clipboard.