There is no single comprehensive database (though Identifont is as close as they come because it includes the most typefaces from multiple retail and “free” sources). If you really want to avoid replicating an existing name, trademark or no, I recommend checking all the following, as each has entries that are unique to its database:
If you want to expand your search to historic typefaces that are not offered in digital form yet (or anymore), you could search the typeface designer/foundry pdfs compiled by Hans Reichardt for the Klingspor-Museum. This archive is pretty extensive, but of course it isn’t comprehensive either. https://www.google.com/webhp?q=site:www.klingspor-museum.de+Reina
I'm currently working on something like this .... based on font names from MyFonts, TypeKit, Google Fonts and other sources (like the "Seemann"). Should be available tomorrow, will post a link
James, yours is one of the very rare active foundries not included in the resources I listed, but you’re right that USPTO should be added (MVB fonts are there too, but not Identifont). Done.
Some people suggested to exclude the foundry name from the typeface name. Even this makes sense for fonts like FF Tisa or Linotype Didot, there are a few examples where the name becomes too common like PT Sans would become just Sans.
What are your opinions? Is FF Tisa known as Tisa or FF Tisa? Since the tool is about looking up just names not complete typeface information I would go for remove them all without exception.
Everything Goudy (Lanston and Monotype Corp.) proably is a special case
While the primary purpose of Fonts In Use is to show use examples, it also has a vast and growing database of typefaces, including pre-digital ones and such that have no uses attached to them yet. I add this here because many people don’t know about that yet.
We plan to add more meta data like type designer and release year, so that one could search for uses of typefaces by a certain designer, or uses of typefaces designed in the 1930s, for example. This is currently in beta.
I asked a python developer I work with to build the engine for something like Lars' site. Lars, would you be interested in publishing your site's source code on Github? I expect many designers/foundries would like to be added and making the software libre on Github will help with that
Comments
Independent Resources- Identifont
- Luc Devroye
- Fonts In Use
- Typophile
- US Patent and Trademark Office
- one day: Type Record
Retailers- MyFonts
- FontShop
- Fonts.com
- Fontspring
- You Work For Them
Free- Dafont
- Google Fonts
https://www.google.com/webhp?q=site:www.klingspor-museum.de+Reina
http://namecheck.fontdata.com/
What are your opinions? Is FF Tisa known as Tisa or FF Tisa? Since the tool is about looking up just names not complete typeface information I would go for remove them all without exception.
Everything Goudy (Lanston and Monotype Corp.) proably is a special case
We plan to add more meta data like type designer and release year, so that one could search for uses of typefaces by a certain designer, or uses of typefaces designed in the 1930s, for example. This is currently in beta.
https://github.com/googlefonts/fontbakery/tree/master/bakery_cli/scrapes/familynames/familynames/spiders