Trademark MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides tools for searching and retrieving USPTO trademark information using the TSDR API.

Features

This MCP server provides the following tools:

• trademark_search_by_serial: Search for trademark information using an 8-digit serial number
• trademark_search_by_registration: Search for trademark information using a 7-8 digit registration number
• trademark_status: Get comprehensive status information for a trademark (HTML format)
• trademark_image: Retrieve trademark image URLs
• trademark_documents: Get document bundle URLs for a trademark

Installation

pnpm install
pnpm build

⚠️ API Key Required

Important: The USPTO TSDR API requires an API key since October 2020. You must:

1. Register at USPTO Developer Portal
2. Get your API key from your account dashboard
3. Set environment variable: USPTO_API_KEY=your_api_key_here

Without an API key, all requests will return 401 Unauthorized errors.

Usage

Using npx (Recommended)

You can run the server directly using npx without installing:

# Set your API key first
export USPTO_API_KEY=your_api_key_here

# Then run the server
npx trademark-mcp-server

This will start the MCP server in stdio mode, ready to receive MCP protocol messages.

As an MCP Server (stdio)

If you have the package installed locally:

pnpm start
# or directly
node dist/bin.js

Using the Shell Script

A convenience shell script is provided:

./start-mcp-server.sh

As an HTTP Server

# Set your API key first
export USPTO_API_KEY=your_api_key_here

# Then run the server
pnpm serve
# or directly
node dist/server.js

The HTTP server will run on port 8080 by default (configurable via PORT environment variable):

• Health check: http://localhost:8080/health
• MCP endpoint: http://localhost:8080/mcp

Development

# Set your API key first
export USPTO_API_KEY=your_api_key_here

# Run in development mode with file watching
pnpm serve:dev

# Run with MCP Inspector for debugging and testing
pnpm inspect
# or use the convenience script
./inspect-server.sh

# Run tests
pnpm test

# Lint and format
pnpm lint
pnpm format

Testing with MCP Inspector

The MCP Inspector provides a web-based interface for testing MCP servers:

# Start the inspector (opens browser at http://localhost:5173)
pnpm inspect

# Or use the standalone script
./inspect-server.sh

The inspector allows you to:

• Test all tools interactively through a web UI
• View server capabilities and available tools
• Send requests and see responses in real-time
• Debug issues with detailed logging
• Validate MCP protocol compliance

API Endpoints Used

This server uses the USPTO TSDR (Trademark Status & Document Retrieval) API:

• Base URL: https://tsdrapi.uspto.gov/ts/cd
• Status Info (JSON): /casestatus/sn[SERIAL]/info.json or /casestatus/rn[REGISTRATION]/info.json
• Status Info (HTML): /casestatus/sn[SERIAL]/content.html
• Trademark Images: /rawImage/[SERIAL]
• Document Bundles: /casedocs/bundle.pdf?sn=[SERIAL]

Getting an API Key

1. Visit USPTO Developer Portal
2. Create an account or log in
3. Navigate to your account dashboard
4. Generate a new API key for TSDR access
5. Copy your API key for use with this server

For questions about API keys, contact: [email protected]

Rate Limits

• General API calls: 60 requests per minute per API key
• PDF/ZIP downloads: 4 requests per minute per API key

Example Usage

You can test these examples using the MCP Inspector (pnpm inspect) or by calling the tools directly.

Search by Serial Number

// Example serial number: 78787878
{
  "name": "trademark_search_by_serial",
  "arguments": {
    "serialNumber": "78787878"
  }
}

Search by Registration Number

// Example registration number: 1234567
{
  "name": "trademark_search_by_registration", 
  "arguments": {
    "registrationNumber": "1234567"
  }
}

Get Trademark Image

{
  "name": "trademark_image",
  "arguments": {
    "serialNumber": "78787878"
  }
}

Test with Real Data

Try these working examples in the MCP Inspector:

• Apple trademark: Serial number 78462704
• Nike trademark: Serial number 72016902
• Microsoft trademark: Serial number 78213220

Configuration for Claude Desktop

Using npx (Recommended)

Add this to your claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "trademark-mcp-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["trademark-mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "USPTO_API_KEY": "your_api_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Using Local Installation

If you have the package installed locally:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "trademark-mcp-server": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/trademark-mcp-server/dist/bin.js"],
      "env": {
        "USPTO_API_KEY": "your_api_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Using Shell Script

You can also use the provided shell script:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "trademark-mcp-server": {
      "command": "/path/to/trademark-mcp-server/start-mcp-server.sh",
      "env": {
        "USPTO_API_KEY": "your_api_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

License

MIT

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Run tests and linting: pnpm test && pnpm lint
5. Submit a pull request

API Reference

For more information about the USPTO TSDR API, visit:

• USPTO Developer Portal
• TSDR API Swagger Documentation