How to Check Trademarks for Print On Demand

About this video

RJ Martinez shows how he checks trademarks before uploading print-on-demand designs, focusing on classification 025 for tops and t-shirts (hoodies, tank tops, V-necks); pillows, tumblers, PopSockets, tote bags and pillows fall under different classifications that must be checked separately. His main tool is TM Hunt (tmhunt.com), which he uses to search up to 10 phrases at a time, filtered to ’live’ status and text type, alongside the USPTO website itself and the Merchant Informer / MI Trademark Check Chrome extension. Clicking a serial number opens the USPTO record: he checks whether the mark is live or dead, whether it has a registration certificate versus still being at the drawing/application stage (a pending mark is not yet live, but can become live later and get a top-selling design taken down, which he says has happened to him), and crucially the goods and services — a mark registered only for footwear, for example, differs from one covering tops/shirts. He generally looks for combinations of two or more words, paying little attention to single words unless they are major brands like Nike, and suggests a Google search to check phrases are not from a movie. As a worked example, ‘drip season’ was live under class 025 for hooded sweatshirts and tops as clothing, so he would not upload that design, though he could reuse the graphic with different text. He also promotes his Top Research Design Vault ($10/month, as he states it) during the video.

Key takeaways

• Check trademarks in the right class — class 025 covers tops/t-shirts; other products use different classes
• Use TM Hunt to batch-check phrases (up to 10), filtered to live, text marks, then verify on the USPTO site
• Check the USPTO goods and services list: a mark only for footwear is different from one covering tops
• Pending applications are not live yet but can become live later and cause takedowns — recheck over time
• Avoid live multi-word marks for clothing, e.g. he rejects ‘drip season’ for class 025 tops/hoodies

Episode details: published February 27, 2025 · 11:08 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. Business results and any income figures mentioned are RJ Martinez’s own claims, shared for education — they are not typical or guaranteed.

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