Introduction - Trademark Law Research Guide - LibGuides at Boston University Law Library

Introduction to Trademark Law Research

Trademark law allows sellers or providers of goods or services to distinguish their products from others in the marketplace with identifying words, logos, or symbols. Federal trademark law grants protection to federally registered trademarks, but federal registration is not required for trademark protection. State laws and common law also create trademark rights.

Trademark law research involves primary legal sources such as statutes, cases, and administrative law--potentially, at both the state and federal levels. Legislative history research can be necessary to ascertain the legislative intent behind particular statutory language.

In most instances, it is best to begin your research with a review of secondary sources and practice aids such as research guides, background materials, treatises, and law review articles. Secondary sources help you frame your questions before you begin researching "the law" and often provide references to primary sources, rules, or forms. As you continue your research, you may want to consult current awareness tools to keep current on legal developments that may affect your research.

This guide is designed to point out the best sources available for trademark research at BU. Some of the resources are free Internet sources, but many are subscription services available to members of the BU Law community. Where possible, this guide will link to other guides which can provide even more detail or resources on a particular subject.

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I. Introduction

II. Secondary Sources

III. Practice Aids

IV. Statutes & Legislative History

V. Decisions & Regulations

VI. Trademark Searching

VII. State Trademark Law

VIII. Foreign & International Law

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