Before buying a .ch domain, how do you check trademarks?

Availability and name screening answer different questions

A domain check asks whether the exact internet address appears registrable. It does not investigate trademarks or other naming rights. Switch's terms explain that the registry does not check entitlement to register and use the name. Successful .ch registration is therefore not a clearance decision for your business name. Keep two separate notes: the exact domain checked and when, and your research into the intended use. An AI-generated name needs the same checks. An appealing suggestion does not establish any legal status.

First describe what the name will identify

Record the full name, important word elements, the planned offering and the countries where you intend to operate. Using a name for software and using the same expression for a café are different scenarios, but that alone does not establish legal safety. The description helps you pass on relevant findings. Note whether you intend to use a word alone or a logo too. Research for a Swiss launch does not automatically answer questions about later expansion abroad. If the name or offering changes, identify which parts of the earlier research still apply.

Use Swissreg deliberately and record its limitations

Open the Swissreg trademark database through the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property, known as the IPI in English and IGE in German. Start with its IP-rights search rather than the separate publication search for register changes. Search the name and important word elements using the current advanced search options. The IPI explains that a basic search does not automatically find all similar spellings or similar-sounding signs. Umlauts are also treated differently from written-out ae, oe or ue variants. Do not simply use your domain spelling as the only query. For relevant results, save the number, status, name and goods and services. A text query does not fully cover the visual elements of a logo.

Add company-name research and actual use

The IPI recommends internet, company-name and domain research alongside trademark searches. Zefix is Switzerland's central business-name index, rather than another trademark database. Check relevant company names there and look for actual use on the web too. Read beyond a result's heading: the offering, operator and connection to your project may matter. Record the source, date and unresolved question without treating a single hit as a final prohibition or permission. An empty result in one database does not establish that no relevant information exists elsewhere.

Planning example: a similar result before launch

A team preparing a Swiss online shop finds its preferred .ch address available, then discovers a similar-sounding name during research. This is a fictional example, not an assessment of a real trademark. The team collects the record, queries and its own product-range description for a specialist. It does not resolve the question by adding a hyphen or choosing another extension: those changes do not automatically remove a conflict. An absence of results is not a guarantee either; the IPI expressly describes the limits of do-it-yourself similarity research. Resolve open questions before committing print materials and campaigns to the name. Afterwards, check the exact .ch availability again and verify registration separately in your account.

A useful question

Does the .ch registry check whether I infringe another trademark?

Switch says it does not check entitlement to register and use the name. Domain confirmation therefore does not provide trademark clearance.

Is a Swissreg search with no results enough?

No. The IPI identifies limitations involving similar spelling, sound and design. Document the research and obtain specialist assessment of unresolved risks.

Will a hyphen or another extension solve a conflict?

Not automatically. A technically different domain does not answer the naming-rights question. Have the actual name and intended use assessed.