Documentation Index
Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.signa.so/llms.txt
Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
Every trademark in Signa carries three classification dimensions: how it was filed (filing route), what type of mark it is (mark feature type), and what legal category it belongs to (legal category). Understanding these dimensions is essential for building accurate search queries and interpreting results.
Filing Routes
The filing route describes the procedural path through which a trademark application was submitted.
| Route | Value | Description |
|---|
| Direct national | direct_national | Filed directly at a national office (e.g., USPTO, CIPO) |
| Direct regional | direct_regional | Filed directly at a regional office (e.g., EUIPO for the EU, BOIP for Benelux) |
| Madrid designation | madrid_designation | A country designation under a Madrid Protocol international registration |
| Transformation | transformation | A national application created from a cancelled Madrid designation |
| Divisional | divisional | Split from a parent application (e.g., to separate contested classes) |
| Unknown | unknown | Route could not be determined from source data |
Scope Kind
Related to filing route, the scope_kind field classifies the territorial scope:
| Scope | Description | Typical Routes |
|---|
national | Protection in one country | direct_national, madrid_designation, transformation |
regional | Protection across a regional bloc | direct_regional |
international_registration | WIPO international register | madrid_designation |
Filtering by Route
# All direct national filings
curl -s "https://api.signa.so/v1/trademarks?filing_route=direct_national" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer sig_xxx"
# All Madrid marks
curl -s "https://api.signa.so/v1/trademarks?is_madrid=true" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer sig_xxx"
filing_route breakdowns:
{
"aggregations": {
"filing_route": {
"direct_national": 3800,
"madrid_designation": 1547,
"direct_regional": 647
}
}
}
Mark Feature Types (16 values)
The mark feature type describes the visual or sensory form of the trademark.
| Type | Value | Description |
|---|
| Word | word | Text only, no stylization |
| Figurative | figurative | Logo or design, no text |
| Combined | combined | Text + design elements together |
| 3D | three_d | Three-dimensional shape |
| Color | color | A specific color or color combination |
| Sound | sound | Audio mark (jingle, chime) |
| Motion | motion | Animated or moving mark |
| Hologram | hologram | Holographic mark |
| Pattern | pattern | Repeating pattern applied to a surface |
| Position | position | Mark defined by its position on goods |
| Multimedia | multimedia | Combination of image and sound |
| Scent | scent | Olfactory mark (extremely rare) |
| Taste | taste | Gustatory mark (extremely rare) |
| Texture | texture | Tactile mark |
| Other | other | Non-standard type |
| Unknown | unknown | Type could not be determined |
word, figurative, or combined. Non-traditional marks (sound, scent, hologram, etc.) represent a small but growing percentage.
# All figurative marks in the EU
curl -s "https://api.signa.so/v1/trademarks?mark_feature_type=figurative&jurisdictions=EU" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer sig_xxx"
Impact on Search
The mark feature type affects how search works:
- Word marks are matched by text similarity (phonetic, visual, conceptual)
- Figurative marks may have
mark_text: null — they can only be found via design codes (Vienna classification) or owner/class filters
- Combined marks are searchable by both text and design codes
Legal Categories (9 values)
The legal category classifies the legal nature of the trademark right.
| Category | Value | Description |
|---|
| Standard | standard | Ordinary trademark identifying goods/services of one enterprise |
| Collective | collective | Indicates membership in an association |
| Certification | certification | Certifies characteristics (quality, origin, materials) |
| Collective membership | collective_membership | Indicates membership without certifying quality |
| Defensive | defensive | Registered to prevent others from using (AU-specific) |
| Guarantee | guarantee | Guarantees quality standards (some jurisdictions) |
| Geographical indication | geographical_indication | Identifies goods originating from a specific place |
| Other | other | Non-standard category |
| Unknown | unknown | Category could not be determined |
standard. Collective and certification marks have special rules around who can use them and how they are enforced.
# All certification marks
curl -s "https://api.signa.so/v1/trademarks?mark_legal_category=certification" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer sig_xxx"
# Geographical indications
curl -s "https://api.signa.so/v1/trademarks?mark_legal_category=geographical_indication" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer sig_xxx"
Right Kind (5 values)
Distinct from legal category, right_kind classifies the type of IP right:
| Kind | Value | Description |
|---|
| Trademark | trademark | Standard trademark |
| Trade name | trade_name | Business name registration |
| Commercial notice | commercial_notice | Commercial notice (some Latin American offices) |
| Geographical indication | geographical_indication | GI registered as a standalone right |
| Other | other | Non-standard right type |
trademark. The right_kind field exists because some offices register trade names and GIs in the same database as trademarks.
Combining Dimensions
These classification fields work together for precise filtering. Some common combinations:
| Use Case | Filters |
|---|
| Word marks filed directly in the US | mark_feature_type=word, filing_route=direct_national, jurisdictions=US |
| Madrid designations in the EU | filing_route=madrid_designation, offices=euipo |
| All certification marks globally | mark_legal_category=certification |
| Figurative marks in Nice Class 25 | mark_feature_type=figurative, nice_classes=25 |
| GIs registered in the EU | mark_legal_category=geographical_indication, jurisdictions=EU |
# Word marks filed directly in the US, Nice Class 9
curl -s "https://api.signa.so/v1/trademarks?\
mark_feature_type=word&\
filing_route=direct_national&\
jurisdictions=US&\
nice_classes=9" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer sig_xxx"
Search Aggregations
All three classification dimensions are available as search aggregations:
curl -s -X POST https://api.signa.so/v1/trademarks \
-H "Authorization: Bearer sig_xxx" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"query": "APPLE",
"options": { "aggregations": ["mark_feature_type", "mark_legal_category", "filing_route", "right_kind", "scope_kind"] }
}'
