> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.pinakelai.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Clearance pre-screen

> Find identical and word-level conflicts for a proposed mark before ordering a full clearance search.

> [!WARNING]
>
> A pre-screen is a knock-out search. It finds earlier marks that contain the same words, not marks that look, sound or mean the same. It does not replace a full clearance search or legal advice.

## What the API can and cannot find

| Finds | Does not find |
| - | - |
| Identical marks (`mark_text`) | Phonetic matches (`NAIKEE` for `NIKE`) |
| Marks containing the same words in order (`mark_text_phrase`) | Spelling variants and typos (`NIKKE`) |
| Matches in translations and transliterations Pinakel holds | Words embedded in longer words (`UNIKEN`) |
| Chinese marks containing the same characters | Visual similarity of logos |
| Conflicts narrowed by class, similar group and status | Unregistered rights, company names, domain names |

See [Text matching](https://docs.pinakelai.com/concepts/text-matching.md) for exactly how words and characters are matched.

## 1. Break the mark into search terms

For a proposed mark `LUMEN AIR` in class 25:

* the whole mark: `mark_text=LUMEN AIR` and `mark_text_phrase=lumen air`;
* each distinctive word on its own: `mark_text_phrase=lumen`; skip descriptive words such as `air` alone if they would match too much;
* known variants and translations: `lumière`, and the mark in the scripts of your target markets.

## 2. Search the relevant registers, classes and statuses

Search the registers of the countries where the mark will be used, including `EM` for the European Union and `WO` for international registrations. Restrict to the classes of interest and related classes, and to marks that can still be obstacles:

```bash theme={null}
curl -G "https://api.pinakelai.com/v1/trademarks" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $PINAKEL_API_KEY" \
  --data-urlencode "mark_text_phrase=lumen" \
  --data-urlencode "jurisdiction=EM,FR,DE,WO" \
  --data-urlencode "nice_class=18,25,35" \
  --data-urlencode "status_category=live,unknown,none" \
  --data-urlencode "limit=100"
```

* `status_category=live,unknown,none` keeps registered and pending marks, and also marks whose status is unknown or not stated, so an unmapped status never hides a conflict.
* In China and Korea, add `similar_group_code` for the goods you sell; examiners there compare by similar group, not by class.
* International registrations designate countries: add `designated_country` to the `WO` search to keep only those covering your markets.

## 3. Review the hits

Summaries carry the mark, status, dates, primary owner and Nice class count. Retrieve the candidates that need a closer look, with the specification:

```bash theme={null}
curl "https://api.pinakelai.com/v1/trademarks/tm_AD_2376e41e-3d24-57e3-af6f-6a176f9985ba?include=goods_services" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $PINAKEL_API_KEY"
```

`goods_services` gives the specification per class, with a translation where one exists. Check `status.office_status` and the dates: a registered mark past its expiry date and grace period may be vulnerable, and a pending application may still be refused.

## 4. Search figurative elements

Marks with no words, or whose words differ from yours, can still conflict through a device. If your mark has a distinctive device, search its Vienna codes in the same scope:

```bash theme={null}
--data-urlencode "vienna_code=03.07" --data-urlencode "jurisdiction=EM" --data-urlencode "nice_class=25"
```

A one- or two-part Vienna prefix must be combined with `jurisdiction`, `nice_class` or `primary_owner_country`.

## When a term matches too much

A very common word or a single Chinese character can match more than 100,000 records and get 422 [`query-too-broad`](https://docs.pinakelai.com/errors/query-too-broad). Narrow it with fewer registers, Nice classes or a filing-date range. If the word is that common, it is probably not the distinctive part of the mark.

## Recording what you searched

For your file, record the date, the `request_id` of each search, the parameters, and the freshness of each register from [`GET /v1/jurisdictions`](https://docs.pinakelai.com/api-reference/jurisdictions/list) (`last_checked_at`). Results reflect the registers as Pinakel last loaded them, not the office's live state.


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