Working through this with us?
Some names cannot be owned. Type yours, say what the product is, be honest about how the name relates to it... and see where it lands on the scale the examiner uses.
The five rungs. Generic names are the category itself and can never be owned. Descriptive names say what the product does and get refused unless you can prove the public already ties the name to you. Suggestive names hint. Arbitrary names are common words with no connection to the goods. Fanciful names are invented. The higher the rung, the easier to register and the easier to defend.
Category words inside the name. If the product category shows up inside the name, the examiner reads it as descriptive at best, no matter how you feel about it. The tool checks your name against the category words you typed.
Bolted-on words. Plus, Co, Labs, Pro, Naturals. They get disclaimed, which means you own the name without them, and they carry almost no weight when two marks are compared.
This is education, not legal advice. A trademark attorney decides your own situation.
Not sure which locks are on yet? The Lock-Down Line.