Get it in writing
The official USPTO status record for THE WORDS SALEM'S BLACK HAT SOCIETY ON SEPARATE LINES, BUT OF EQUAL SIZE, FORMING A SQUARE. THE A IN HAT IS A POINTED BLACK HAT WITH A BUCKLE DIRECTLY OVER THE WIDE BRIM. A BROOM WITH THE BROOM PART ON THE LEFT AND THE HANDLE POINTING TO THE RIGHT IS DIRECTLY BELOW THE WORD SOCIETY. THE WORDS "HOP ON! LET'S SEE WHERE THE BROOM TAKES US!" IS IN ITALICS AND BELOW THE BROOM., serial 88198260, as a dated PDF. One price, one document, delivered in about a minute.
Trademark Status Report
The USPTO's own status record for this mark, on one dated page.
- Current status with a plain-English verdict
- Owner, classes, filing basis, and every key date
- The mark as it appears on the federal record
- Every prosecution event, filing to today
- Source-cited with the exact retrieval date
Built from the USPTO's TSDR record. Assignment chain of title and TTAB proceeding files sit in separate USPTO systems and are not included.
Serial 88198260 · Principal Register
Dead · Refused
Owner: Sims, Brian L
Class 021 -
Class 025 - Clothing
Filed
The record shows that the mark “THE WORDS SALEM’S BLACK HAT SOCIETY …” is dead; the application was dismissed because it did not meet minimum filing date requirements, and the serial number was assigned in error. The owner listed is Brian L. Sims, an individual. The goods listed in the record are glass mugs and shirts, so a similar name used on those items would raise the closest record‑based concern. The record does not give control over every use of the wording; it only covers the specific goods shown. The prosecution history shows a single entry on November 21, 2018, when the new application was entered, and no further examination or amendment events are recorded. The latest status event is the dismissal on December 6, 2018. No oppositions, cancellations, or other enforcement actions appear in the supplied history. For someone thinking of a similar name, the record suggests a moderate risk if the name is used on glass mugs or shirts, but the overall claim is limited to those goods.
Full event history, owner details, and verdict inside.
The way I'd use it, honestly, is as the thing you attach when a bank, a marketplace, or a co-founder asks "are we clear on the name". It answers in one page.