Adopting a logo means investing in materials, a website and an image. Finding out afterwards that it closely resembles someone else's sometimes forces you to redo everything, or even to deal with a dispute. A check beforehand takes only a few hours and avoids most of these nasty surprises.
Why check before adopting
- Avoid confusion with a business in the same sector, which harms both.
- Avoid a dispute or a removal request from a trademark holder.
- Prepare a trademark registration: a sign too close to an existing mark can be refused or challenged.
- Avoid redoing materials already printed.
Step 1: reverse image search
Upload your logo to an image search engine (reverse search) to see whether it already exists, or whether it comes from a generic image bank. The signs to look for are covered in recognising a logo copied from an image bank (in French).
Step 2: trademark databases
Consult the official databases: the INPI database for French trademarks, the EUIPO (TMview tool) for European trademarks, and the WIPO global database for an international view. Search both the name and similar visual elements, in your field of activity.
Step 3: searching your sector
Browse the websites, social networks and directories of your direct competitors, local and national. A logo may appear in no trademark database and still be well known in your sector.
Step 4: the name and domain names
Confusion often comes from the name as much as the drawing. Check that the name isn't already used in your field, that the domain name is available and that the social media handles aren't taken by a similar business.
Step 5: asking for professional advice
For anything important (registering a trademark, national or international growth), an industrial property adviser or specialist lawyer can run a more complete prior-rights search. The registration process is detailed in should you register your logo with the INPI (in French), and the protections in how to protect your logo (in French).
If you find a resemblance
Compare the two logos side by side, small and in black and white. If a strong resemblance remains in the same field of activity, it is better to modify the logo before printing than to defend it afterwards. See also can you take inspiration from a competitor's logo without risk.
Frequently asked questions about a logo's uniqueness
Can a logo that differs from another still cause a problem?
Yes. For trademarks, the criterion is the risk of confusion for the public in the same field of activity: two logos can differ in detail and still be mistaken for each other in overall impression.
Does a designer check a logo's uniqueness?
A designer can run visual-resemblance searches during the design, but can't guarantee that no earlier trademark exists. A prior-rights search for trademarks is a separate step.
More questions about logo design
Who Owns a Logo: the Client or the Designer?
Copyright belongs first to the designer: the client only acquires use of the logo through a written assignment of rights. Read the article →
Can You Use a Free Font in a Logo?
Sometimes yes, sometimes no: 'free' doesn't mean 'free to use in a logo'. Read each font's licence. Read the article →
Can You Take Inspiration From a Competitor's Logo Without Risk?
Take inspiration, don't imitate: study the sector's codes, but avoid any resemblance that creates confusion with a competitor. Read the article →
What Should You Do If a Designer Doesn't Deliver the Source Files for Your Logo?
Re-read the quote, ask for the files in writing, then use the platform's remedies; failing that, a logo can be redrawn as a vector. Read the article →
What Common Mistakes Should Be Avoided When Creating a Logo?
The most frequent mistakes: unnecessary complexity, lack of originality, poor readability at small sizes, and no vector files. Read the article →
What File Formats Should I Request for a Logo So I Can Use It Across Different Materials?
A professional logo should be delivered as a vector file (SVG, PDF, EPS) for print, plus PNG and JPG exports for the web. Read the article →
How Can a Logo Strengthen a Small Business's Brand Image?
A good logo gives a small business instant credibility and consistency across all its materials, often before the first customer contact. Read the article →
See all questions about logo design →
My take as a designer
Checking uniqueness is part of my design work: comparing, searching, ruling out whatever looks too much like something else. But I always tell my clients it doesn't replace an official prior-rights search when a trademark is at stake.
Checking before printing costs a few hours; discovering a resemblance afterwards can cost you your materials.
To sum up
Five checks reduce the risk: image search, trademark databases, sector search, name and domains, professional advice.
None guarantees uniqueness 100%, but together they rule out most nasty surprises.
Do them before printing, and above all before registering a trademark.
