The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has unveiled a one-of-a-kind image-search function for its Global Brand Database, adding a new feature that allows users to upload an image to search for visually similar trademark and other brand-information records from among the millions of images in the collection.

The image-search functionality, which is the first such application among free, public intellectual property databases, was presented at the International Trademark Association (INTA) annual meeting in Hong Kong. It adds an important new search possibility for the Global Brand Database’s users, who often wish to see if a logo, trademark or other similar image is separately registered for use.

The new, easy-to-use image-search technology supplements the database’s other querying criteria, including Vienna Classification codes, brand-holder names, country of origin and others. With this new addition, for example, a user can simply upload a proposed logo and quickly return records – sifting through more than 4 million images from 15 national and international collections - of other protected images that may bear a resemblance.