skills/create-distinctive-names/references/screening-protocol.md

# Preliminary Name Screening Protocol

Research is a funnel. Stop weak candidates early and spend deeper effort only on finalists.

## Level 1 — linguistic and practical screen

- exact spelling and likely pronunciations;
- ordinary, technical, historical, and slang meanings;
- obvious misspellings, homophones, abbreviations, and hostile readings;
- required-language pronunciation and cultural issues;
- naming-architecture and product-extension fit.

## Level 2 — current open-web conflict screen

Search the exact candidate and meaningful variants together with the category, product type, software/app/company terms, and target markets. Inspect the underlying results, not only snippets. Record relevant exact and close uses, their industry, geography, status, and likelihood of confusion.

## Level 3 — digital surfaces

Check relevant domain extensions, major social platforms, app stores, package registries, developer ecosystems, and search-result crowding as required. Record exact time and status. Do not purchase, register, reserve, or contact anyone without authorization.

## Level 4 — business and trademark databases

Search appropriate official company and trademark databases by jurisdiction, class, owner, phonetic variant, and relevant goods/services. Treat database coverage and status carefully. Similarity, class overlap, reputation, geography, and actual use matter; an exact-text search is insufficient.

## Level 5 — professional clearance

For a material launch, international expansion, or significant investment, recommend qualified trademark counsel and a formal clearance search before commitment.

## Status vocabulary

Use only:

- `Exact relevant conflict found`
- `Close relevant conflict found`
- `Unrelated uses found`
- `No material conflict found in the sources checked`
- `Digital identifier appeared unregistered at [timestamp]`
- `Not checked`
- `Inconclusive`
- `Requires professional clearance`

Never collapse these into “the name is free.”

## Research record

| Candidate | Surface/source | Query or identifier | Finding | Relevance | Checked at | Link/evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|