DPMA Trademark Search: How to Use DPMAregister (2026)
The German Patent and Trade Mark Office's official trademark search, step by step: search modes, fields, limits, and when to check the EU register as well.
Founder & Developer of markencheck.ai
Published October 2, 2026
A DPMA trademark search runs through DPMAregister, the free online database of the German Patent and Trade Mark Office: open DPMAregister trademarks. It lists filed, registered and refused German trademarks, needs no account, and its register and procedural data are updated daily. One thing to know up front: DPMAregister matches by spelling. According to the DPMA itself, it offers no similarity search. This guide shows you how to run the search, which mode fits which task, and where you need to keep looking.
What is DPMAregister?
DPMAregister is the DPMA's official register for patents, utility models, trademarks and designs, freely accessible online. For trademarks it holds national German marks (registrations back to October 1894, applications since 1998). You can also pull up EU trademarks from the EUIPO and international registrations (IR marks) from WIPO that designate Germany or the EU. For this third-party data, however, the DPMA states that it gives no guarantee of accuracy or completeness. The DPMA updates register and procedural data daily and publication data weekly. You don't need an account, and searching is free. Costs only arise when you file, see registering a trademark with the DPMA.
Search modes: Basic, Advanced, Expert
For trademarks, DPMAregister offers three search modes plus a monitoring feature. For a first name check the basic search is usually enough; use the advanced search as soon as you want to combine fields.
| Mode | Use it for | Typical fields |
|---|---|---|
| Basic search | Quick search in the most-used fields | Data source, trademark, file/registration number, mark type, applicant/owner, goods/services, class(es), figurative class(es) |
| Advanced search | Combining several fields individually | plus representative, filing date, registration date, type of stock |
| Expert search | Complex queries for experienced users | free query syntax across all fields |
| Monitoring | Watching newly registered marks | owner or class(es), combinable |
DPMA trademark search step by step
1. Open DPMAregister and choose the basic search under trademarks. 2. Under data source, decide what to search: national marks, EU trademarks and international marks can each be switched on or off. For a check covering Germany, include all three. 3. Enter the name in the "Marke" (trademark) field. Don't just search the exact spelling; also try individual word elements, abbreviations and obvious spelling variants. 4. Use "Klasse(n)" to narrow down to the Nice classes you plan to use. Which ones those are is explained in Nice classes explained. 5. Sort through the hits by status: registered marks and pending applications matter most, not cancelled or refused ones. 6. Open the detail view for every relevant hit and note the owner, goods/services, filing date and procedural status. For logos, the "Bildklasse(n)" (figurative class) field helps: the DPMA classifies figurative elements under the Vienna Classification, which lets you find marks with similar motifs.
Where the official database stops: similar marks
The DPMA does not check during the application whether identical or similar marks are already registered. The office says so itself. At the same time, according to the DPMA, DPMAregister does not support a similarity search; complex similarity searches are offered by commercial providers. In practice: DPMAregister finds what you type. Similar-sounding names ("Lumora" vs. "Lumoria"), alternative spellings or translations only show up if you try them as search terms yourself. Yet exactly these signs can create a likelihood of confusion. So plan a systematic variant search and, when in doubt, have critical hits assessed by a professional.
Why you should also check the EU register
According to the DPMA, an opposition against a German trademark can be based not only on earlier German marks but also on earlier EU trademarks and IR marks protected in Germany. An EU trademark is valid in every EU member state, Germany included. A search limited to the national register therefore falls short. You search the EU register officially with eSearch plus and TMview, see EUIPO trademark search. markencheck.ai works at the same point, but adds a similarity assessment: it compares your name phonetically and visually against about 1.7 million active EU trademarks and takes Nice classes into account. Important: markencheck.ai searches the EUIPO's EU register only. Purely national German marks still need to be checked in DPMAregister. Together, the two give you a far more complete picture.
Also check the EU register
EU trademarks apply in Germany too. Enter your name to see similar EU marks with a score (DPMA marks are not included).
DPMAregister, TMview or the EU register: what to search where
The databases complement each other. Which one you use depends on where you plan to use the mark.
| Database | Contains | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| DPMAregister (DPMA) | German marks; EU and IR marks without guarantee | National checks, register status of German marks |
| eSearch plus (EUIPO) | EU trademarks with full case details | Status and proceedings of an EU mark |
| TMview (EUIPO/TMDN) | Many national offices plus EUIPO | Broad identical/similar scan across Europe |
| markencheck.ai | EU trademarks (EUIPO), no DPMA data | Similarity scoring against the EU register |
Conclusion
DPMAregister is the free, official starting point for any trademark search in Germany: the basic search for a quick check, the advanced search for combined filters, monitoring for new registrations. But it only finds what you type and doesn't assess similarity. Add a variant search and a look at the EU register, because EU trademarks apply in Germany too. You can run the similarity check against the EU register right here: check your trademark.
Step by step
Open DPMAregister
Go to register.dpma.de and choose the basic search under trademarks.
Choose the data source
Enable national marks, EU trademarks and international marks to cover all marks in force in Germany.
Search the name and variants
Enter the name in the trademark field and repeat the search with word elements and spelling variants.
Narrow down by class
Filter by class to the Nice classes of your goods and services.
Review the hits
Open relevant hits and note status, owner, goods/services and filing date.
Add the EU register
Also check EU trademarks in the EU register, since they apply in Germany too.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I search the German trademark register?
You search the German trademark register for free via DPMAregister. Without registering, choose the basic search, enter the name in the trademark field and narrow it down to Nice classes if needed. The DPMA updates register and procedural data daily.
Is the DPMA trademark search free?
Yes. Searching DPMAregister is free and needs no account. Fees only apply when you file a trademark; online filing with the DPMA starts at 290 euros. Details are in registering a trademark with the DPMA.
How do I find out whether a brand name is already protected?
Search the name in DPMAregister for German marks and in the EU register (eSearch plus or TMview) for EU trademarks, which also apply in Germany. Check not only the exact spelling but also similar-sounding variants in your Nice classes. For a similarity comparison against the EU register you can check your trademark here. A hit or no hit is not a legal assessment.
Does DPMAregister include EU trademarks?
Partly. In the data source you can switch on EU trademarks and international marks protected in Germany. However, the DPMA gives no guarantee that this data is accurate or complete. The official source for EU trademarks is the EUIPO with eSearch plus and TMview.
Can I search DPMAregister for similar marks?
Not directly. According to the DPMA, DPMAregister has no similarity search. It matches by spelling, so you have to enter variants such as alternative spellings, word elements or translations yourself. For logos, searching by figurative class under the Vienna Classification helps.
What is the difference between DPMAregister and DPMAdirektWeb?
DPMAregister is the search database where you look up existing marks. DPMAdirektWeb is the online portal you use to file a trademark yourself. Search first, then file.
Does markencheck.ai check German DPMA trademarks?
No. markencheck.ai currently searches only the EUIPO's EU register, i.e. EU trademarks that also apply in Germany. Purely national German marks can be checked for free in DPMAregister. Combining both gives you the most complete picture.
Also check the EU register
EU trademarks apply in Germany too. Enter your name to see similar EU marks with a score (DPMA marks are not included).
What markencheck.ai adds to a DPMA search
Finds EU trademarks that sound or look similar, which a spelling-only search misses
Scores every hit for similarity and matches the Nice classes
Covers the EU register, which also applies in Germany (no DPMA data, no legal advice)
Related Guides
Checked the DPMA? Now check the EU register
EU trademarks apply in Germany too. Check your name for similar EU marks, with a similarity score and class matching.
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