3 Simple Ways to Check the Competition
Many entrepreneurs from Rzeszów wake up with their hand in the cookie jar when they receive a payment demand for using someone else's mark. The matter is clear: it's enough to spend fifteen minutes to check if the name 'Podkarpackie Smaki' is already taken in the official registers.
The PWP Register – Your First Source of Truth
We know Rzeszów offices from the inside and know that most disputes start from a lack of basic knowledge about what already exists. You go to the website of the Patent Office of the Republic of Poland and look for the PWP database. This is not black magic, but you need to know what to look at. You enter the name of the company your neighbor or local competitor plans to open. If 14 results pop up, you need to check the dates and scope of protection. This is a simple activity that takes exactly 11 minutes and can save your budget from a loss of 4,800 PLN on contractual penalties in the future.
At Karpaty Insight Group, we've been repeating to clients for 7 years that checking the database is not a lack of trust, but business hygiene. It often happens that someone registered a similar mark 3 years ago and is just waiting for you to grow enough for it to be worth suing you. Facts matter, not promises, so don't take partners' words for it that 'surely no one has this.' Check it yourself in the protection object search engine. Enter the keyword, select the goods category, and see if the status is 'Protection right granted.' If so, you must change your plans before you print your first 500 business cards.
Remember also the so-called Nice classes. These are like bags into which various industries are thrown. If your competitor has the mark 'Góra' registered for construction services, and you want to produce juices under that name, then usually there's no problem. But if you both target the same customer wallet in Rzeszów, the situation gets thick. Last year we analyzed 83 such cases where a small change in the business description allowed avoiding a court battle. Straight to the point: it's better to know this now than in 2 years before a court.
Checking the PWP database takes exactly 11 minutes and can save your budget from a loss of 4,800 PLN.
TMview – Checking Europe Without Leaving the Office
If you're thinking of selling outside Podkarpacie, the Polish office is not enough. You must look into the TMview database. This is a free tool that collects data from almost all European Union countries. At Karpaty Insight Group, we use it every day for our 47 regular clients. The system is simple: you enter the name and immediately see if a company from Spain or Germany hasn't claimed an identical logotype. This is important because EU law works retroactively and someone from Berlin can block your online store in 3.2 seconds for copyright infringement.
In the TMview database, pay attention to the 'Status' column. You are most interested in 'Registered' marks and those in the 'Application published' phase. The latter are fresh applications someone submitted a few weeks ago. If you see something there that sounds like your idea, you usually have 3 months to file an opposition. In the last quarter, we helped two companies from Rzeszów block attempts to steal their name by competitors from Warsaw precisely thanks to quick monitoring of this database. Without unnecessary ceremonies – clean facts on the laptop screen.
Sometimes the search engine shows 156 results for a popular word. Don't panic. Filter the results by destination country. If your market is only Poland and Slovakia, you don't need to worry about a mark registered only in Italy. But beware: EU marks (EUTM) protect the brand in every member country simultaneously. (By the way, many forget that the graphics in a logo are also subject to protection, not just the name itself, so check graphic marks too).
EU law works ruthlessly and someone from abroad can block your online store in a few seconds.
Google and Social Media Analysis – A Clever Way for New Stuff
Official databases are one thing, but market reality often precedes them. Before someone files for a patent, they usually brag about a new product on LinkedIn or Facebook. Set up Google Alerts for the names of your 3 biggest competitors. This is a free tool that will send you an email as soon as someone mentions them online. In this way, you'll learn about a new product line within 6 hours of a trade press article publication. We secure your ideas by showing you how to stay one step ahead of others.
We often encounter a situation where a competitor uses a name they haven't registered yet. This is an opportunity for you, but also a threat. If you register it first, they will have to withdraw the goods from the shelves. In Rzeszów, we had such a case in 2022 – a local coffee roastery had to change the name of an entire series of products because they were 12 days late with the application. They lost about 12,400 PLN just in printing new packaging. We know Rzeszów realities and know that information travels fast here, but offices grind slowly.
Don't underestimate Facebook groups and local forums either. People talk about planned investments long before their official launch. Social media monitoring is not a game for teenagers; it's gathering intelligence for your company. Write down names that appear and confront them with patent registers once a quarter. This is enough to keep your finger on the pulse and not be surprised by a new player entering the Rzeszów market with momentum.
What to do when you find a similar mark?
If the verification shows a similar mark, don't abandon the investment. Often changing the emblem or font is enough to exclude the risk of confusion. At Karpaty Insight Group, we examine the actual use of signs on the market. According to the law, a mark not used for 5 years can be expired. In 2023, we finalized 7 such procedures for the production sector, opening the way for safe brand registration.
Straight to the point: we do it so that we first assess the risk. If the chance of losing in court is more than 31%, we suggest a strategy change. It's not worth fighting a losing battle when your name and life's work are at stake. We often propose a 'cooperative settlement' to clients, where both companies agree to coexist provided they maintain different sales channels. This is a pragmatic solution that saves time and nerves for both parties.
Remember that patent protection is not just a piece of paper in a frame on the wall. It is a real shield against unfair competition. If you don't check them now, they will surely check you as soon as you start taking their customers. At ul. 3 Maja 12 in Rzeszów, we analyze such scenarios every day. Facts matter, not promises. If you have a doubt about your search result, just send us a screenshot. We'll look at it with a professional eye within 5-7 business hours.
In Poland, the rule applies that if someone doesn't use a mark for 5 years, it can be expired.
