This guide was created for students conducting research in the area of trademark law. This guide, while not comprehensive, provides a solid starting point for research in this subject area. While this guide is focused primarily on federal law, some information on researching state trademark law is also provided.
Cornell LII's Wex, a free legal dictionary and legal encyclopedia, provides a quick overview of trademark law, including links to statutes, cases, treaties, and key internet sources.
For a more thorough overview of various aspects of U.S. trademark law, see the resources provided by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on its website:
In addition, the following texts may be useful starting points for those new to trademark law principles:
The loose-leaf treatise Specialized Legal Research (Penny Hazelton, ed.; 2014) includes a very thorough chapter on researching federal patent and trademark law.
Other law libraries also have trademark research guidance available online:
Updated 11/2025