Brand, Web & Presence

Should I register a company, buy the domain, or lock the trademark first?

A starting point

Practically, grab the domain and the key social handles the moment you've shortlisted a name, because they vanish fastest and cost the least. Company registration can follow once you've decided to actually build. A trademark search should happen before you commit any real money to the name, but the filing itself can come a bit later once you're confident. The rule: cheap-and-fast reservations first, legal filings once you're sure.

Go deeper

Hand-picked from around the web, each with a note on why it earns your time.

3 resources 3 link-checked Read Use

Read

📄 Article

✓ Link checked India Free Beginner

Why we picked it This lays out the sequencing question head on for Indian founders: incorporating your company or owning the .com does not give you the brand, only a filing with the Trade Marks Registry does. It is honest that the day you get your Certificate of Incorporation with no trademark filed, your name is still legally up for grabs, and it explains how an individual can file before the company even exists to lock a priority date. A good starting point for deciding what order to actually do things in.

Trademark Registration for Startups in India: A Practical Guide

From Intepat IP by Intepat IP

Owning the domain and registering the company are separate from owning the brand name in law; only a trademark filing gives you that.
You can file the trademark in your own name before the company is incorporated, then assign it later, which is the fastest way to lock a priority date.
If you incorporate first and file the trademark later, your name sits unprotected in the gap, and someone else can file it.

Open intepat.com →

📄 Article

✓ Link checked India Free Beginner

Why we picked it This answers the real question of when to actually file, and its answer is early, even before you launch, because Indian law lets you file on an intent to use the mark. It is candid that legal spend feels like a luxury for a cash-strapped startup, then makes the case that a forced rebrand later costs far more. A useful counterweight if your instinct is to wait until the product ships.

Trademark Strategy For Startups: What Early-Stage Companies Overlook In Their Rush To Market

From Mondaq by Krutha Janani M (Khurana and Khurana)

File on intent to use, before launch, rather than waiting until the brand is public.
The priority date is set on your filing date, so every week of delay is a week the name is unclaimed.
DPIIT-recognised startups get lower fees and faster processing under the SIPP scheme, which lowers the cost barrier to filing early.

Open mondaq.com →

Use

🛠️ Tool

✓ Link checked India Free Intermediate

Why we picked it The free, official first step before you commit to any brand name, logo, or domain. Ten minutes here can save you a rebrand, it tells you whether your name is already registered or applied-for in your class, which is exactly the check most founders skip.

IP India Public Trademark Search

From Government of India (tmrsearch.ipindia.gov.in) by Trade Marks Registry, CGPDTM tool

Search existing and pending trademarks by word mark, class, and Vienna code before you launch a brand.
Trademark protection is class-specific, check the classes that match what you actually sell.
A registered or similar prior mark in your class is a reason to change the name now, not after launch.
Includes a newer AI-based search option for finding phonetically and visually similar marks.

Open tmrsearch.ipindia.gov.in →